Opinion
Brexit zealots behind Boris Johnson’s bid to be PM
Richard Porritt
Boris Johnson offered bluster but little else during his conference set-piece - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
Blustering, bumbling and bilious though it was, Boris Johnson's Brexit broadside has ignited Tory conference.
More than 1,400 delegates queued for up to two hours to get in and their hero received a rapturous welcome.
But the truth is he offered little in the way of detail. In fact instead of outlining his plan for Brexit he was reduced to listing his achievements as London mayor.
READ: Now the Brexiteers turn on Boris Johnson
READ: Twitter responds to the big speech
But the faithful didn't care.
They don't want to hear about how to solve the Irish border issue or how Britain's ports could come to a standstill and planes grounded. They don't care that business is terrified of no-deal or that expert after expert keeps warning us we are better off with a close relationship to the EU.
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They just want to get out. These are the Brexit zealots of the Tory party – and Johnson sees them as his route to Number 10.
He knows the prime minister is wobbling and he is ready. We should all be very afraid.
Because Johnson's leadership of this country would be much the same as this speech: loud, brash and utterly vacuous.
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