Is it his bumbling facade? The just-got-out-of-bed hair style? The mischievous grin or perhaps his remarkable ability as an orator, phrase-turner and champion of obfuscation? It may be all of the above and more. Whatever the case, Boris has climbed the ladder of politics with his quintessentially british charm.
At first glance, Boris Johnson is a scruffy haired, slightly chubby short man who is both confused and scatty. However, look a little futher and one sees that there is an almost genius political strategist behind the erratic aesthetic that knows exactly what it's doing. Here lies the beauty of the machine that is Boris Johnson; on the surface you have an innocent, bumbling and slightly bewildered mayor, but deep within resides a powerful political core who astutely chooses his actions and words to play the public and his fellow politicians with both tact and sleight of hand. This 'down-to-earth-ness' was of great importance in laying the foundation stone for Johnson's public popularity and notoriety. Above all, it has neutralised his upper class toffishness with a more human quality; in Boris' case, his imperfections become constituent of his perfection. In the history of British politics, it has been rare to see a politician have so much public appeal and reaction; Boris has more than bucked this trend.
A strong brick in Johnson's political wall is his sense of humour. One may despise the man because of the type of Tory Conservatism he represents, however, one cannot possibly deny his humourous character. Much of Boris' comedic success, and consequently his political success, can be attributed to his appearances on Have I Got News For You. To watch him bumble away so endearingly and so charmingly obfuscate at the strings and arrows of questions from Merton and Hislop incited a huge amount of laughs from the public. As a tactic, it was risky but effective; few political figures would have agreed to host such a show for fear of blackening their public image and jeopardising their political career. Once again, Boris bucked the trend and his refusal to shy away from the public spotlight gained him immense admiration from the public. Boris' display of confusion and clumsiness belies his underlying political grasp and tactic. There is something very appealing about a highly intelligent man and a skilled political player who manages to not take himself too seriously and has the ability to make us laugh at the same time. The result of Johnson's public displays are that one feels they know him better, like that one posh friend who was always overly polite with one's parents when invited round to dinner.
The cycling has also succesfully fuelled this image; the Boris Bike movement has tactically given Boris the 'everyday working man' look and has helped quell any negativity surrouding upper class snobbery that his Etonian/Bullingdon past may have stirred up. As a succesful London mayor, Boris sits on a high seat in the political sphere. Nevertheless, he often says the position only slightly quenches his thirst for power. Currently MP for Uxbridge and Hillingdon, Johnson is creeping into the parliamentary shadows of his ex-classmate, David Cameron. Who knows? Perhaps this short, toffish, confused, scatty and scruffy-haired bumbler may soon be running the country.