COLUMN
By ’Tunji Ajibade
You say you are from The Daily Star newspaper? Alright, here’s the portrait of our party leader, born and raised in the strictest of English tradition and he looks it and speaks like one. He has always been known to be a serious person, actually too serious for his own good some say. His mien sometimes can scare a grandchild, and make them scamper to the safe arms of a mother, just as it rightly should many young UK electorates. Only lawyers who are bent on intimidating a defendant they question in the dock ought to wear that kind of look.
Some have said that (and I shall try not to refer to the PM too often) compared with Prime Minister Boris Johnson our party leader doesn’t cut the figure of a modern day politician let alone a prime minister in whom everyone could see their everyday self. But never mind, he can sound like a poet sometimes, the 19th century type, with words too carefully chosen and high sounding as to leave the listener confused. Detractors have said compared to him, Johnson speaks clearly, communicates in the kind of simple language that all citizens understand and can relate with. Note that even Johnson’s most die-hard critics admit this to be the case, a matter that is a cause of concern for us in the party. However, this is the candidate we have and we have to manage him; we can only hope the electorates don’t think it should count even though one can’t see how it won’t.
Nonetheless, we are not unaware that some have even said he is not photogenic like the PM even if we don’t agree with this assessment. Look, our leader is good looking except that some argue he is in an old fashion kind of way, nothing eye-catching and camera-light catching like the PM. Well, the PM is a somewhat unusual figure in these day and age. What with that kind of colourful hair on a male being, something we are used to associating with the female specie. Nature has sure given the PM an unfair advantage. Unfair because everyone instantly recognizes him across the world. As for our party leader, people point at TV screen and ask: Who’s that person?
The PM is a poster boy in every sense of the word. Okay, how do you see him and not pay close attention to him? That’s the kind of attention he’s been getting from the days he was the Mayor of London. That’s many years of headstart compared to our party leader and one hopes critics factor that in when they criticize the opposition party and its current leadership. Really, it’s a major hill to climb when your candidate is the opposite man to someone like the PM. Nonetheless, we don’t want to focus on the PM, rather our own strengths. So, as a party member one really should be stating that the opposition leader is indeed a viable candidate in spite of all the criticisms leveled against him.
However, one must acknowledge the more serious allegation that our leader is em– kind of has the presence of a stiff lawyerly gentleman out of one of Charles Dickens’ novels. Well, they say if he ever emerges as PM he will have the presence of a Prime Minister in the 19th century England – tall bowler hat, heavy dark suit with pocket watch on a long chain, heavy brogue shoes, walking stick and all. Sure that kind of politician will offend the sense of many among the younger generation of voters who’ll think he’s too old school and doesn’t connect with them. Really, we are working on that aspect, I mean the aspect of connecting to the younger generation, something Prime Minister Johnson does effortlessly. Sorry, I did say I should focus on our party, not the PM. But what can one do when our party leader himself has made everything about his tenure thus far all about Prime Minister Johnson. Each day in parliament, he goes on and on about what the PM does and what he doesn’t say.
Mind you, some say our party leader’s performance in parliament is less than convincing. Well. I don’t know what they mean by that because he has shown himself to be a debater. I mean he has always done what he should do even if he’s stiff doing it in an old fashion kind of way. It’s been said that he does have this look meant to intimidate during Question Time, and that he makes effort to impress that he’s a good debater. In the event, critics say he’s been doing it a notch too much. It’s the seriousness in him that’s playing out as usual, something we have been working to change. But there was that particular occasion some said he overstepped bounds in parliament. He did overstep. It was on the occasion, as usual, when he held on to the PM’s neck during Question Time.
The PM had just spoken in defence of his actions during the 2020-2021 pandemic lockdown, then our leader got up, stared directly at the PM and began to speak in a tone that some said seemed like chanting more than speaking clear language that the PM has come to be known for while communicating with citizens. The PM had always done that even when he was the Mayor, a carry-over from his days as a journalist; it’s the kind of background and ability our party leader doesn’t have and he can never be made to change his spot in order to cultivate it.
Still on that particular parliamentary session mentioned, our party leader went overboard by leaving policy issues and going on an attack against the person of the PM. He said the PM was speaking lies from both sides of his mouth, and critics have said he said it sounding like an English gentleman out of the 19th century. I don’t get this fixation about the 19th century, but it keeps coming from critics, a euphemism referencing still how old fashion our leader is compared to the PM. On that occasion in parliament, one was surprised that the PM took the insult calmly, listening as our leader piled more personal insult upon personal insult. I must grudgingly give the PM credit on that one, because he chose not to be provoked. It’s democracy after all and a politician has to look unruffled under such circumstances, something the PM does so well without showing anger. Well, as already stated the PM sure deserves credit, because there are democracies where an opposition leader didn’t say that much to the leader of government but a punch landed him on his back.
To be honest, that kind of personal attack by our party leader on the PM because the PM defended himself over covid19 protocol was out of the roof. If it were not for parliamentary etiquette many members of the opposition would have walked out on their leader that time. But here we are, defending him in spite of the covid19 protocol the Met said he too broke, One wonders though if, when the Met returned a guilty verdict and imposed a fine, the PM would take his own back on our party leader. Maybe he will say our party leader speaks lies from the three sides of his mouth. I doubt the PM will take that route though. He seems focused on citizens and the job he needs to deliver on their behalf than getting stuck in war or words with our party leader who is ever bent on drawing him out.
Some also say our leader doesn’t seem to have any agenda other than pulling the PM down from office. I don’t know if they have a point, but if attacking the PM is what he will continue to do until the next election in order to get the sympathy of voters, I have my worries. I do because if the approach doesn’t backfire, it will front-fire which means our party leader may find it difficult maintaining his front seat.
tunjioa@yahoo.com
