In the speech shortly before entering the portals of 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Boris Johnson—Britain’s long awaited “leader” since at least the time of Mrs Thatcher—mentioned British “pluck”; and that is exactly the kind of quality a country needs in a crisis.
His premiership means a strong and renewed sense of purpose for a nation that can carry it even through the worst of crises. And Brexit is certainly not a crisis. The people of Britain have taken back control of their country. For the majority, it’s the time for celebration and to project confidence and optimism. Boris Johnson to them is the right person to lead her through this crucial jump as a veritable princeps inter pares (sic).
His election will come as no surprise to anyone who knows him. Ever since school, he has been conspicuous, “one to watch out for”. But underneath the dishevelled appearance is a Classicist as sharp as a needle. His greatest skill has been in wearing his scholarly wisdom lightly and concealing it with endearing wit. People who accuse him of “winging it” at meetings forget that he couldn’t have been through Eton (as a scholarship boy) and Oxford (4 years of reading Classics) without the power to absorb and retain a mass of abstract information. His detractors perhaps can’t keep up with his pace. And what is he like in private? Having examined him from far and near, I can tell you that, in private, he never draws attention to himself; he’s rather sensitive; plus a great listener with finely tuned antennae during conversations. Unlike the socially awkward Mrs May, he will have a great deal more interest in and time for the subcontinent.
The election of Mr Johnson proves that democracy is working in Britain.
A nation that voted for exiting the European Union has finally managed to elect a leader capable of bringing that about even in the face of extreme opposition. That tedious process wasn’t easy. It took more than three years to get to this stage. And that’s what civil society in India should aim for rather than fall for the siren-like attraction of bureaucracy that prevents, and socialism that kills, all initiative. The former is being perfected by the EU and the latter by tinpot republics wherein theft is the main value enshrined in the Constitution.
For long, Britain and the Commonwealth had been plagued with a spirit of decline. That trend can now be reversed and a 21st century Anglosphere shaped up where India can take its rightful place.
Ravi Kandamath is a lawyer and public-affairs consultant