Britain's Trump?

As I sit by the pond in mum's garden before it becomes too hot and I am forced indoors to baton down the hatches against what promises to be Britain's hottest day since records began, I find myself ruminating about the new Prime Minister.

Is Boris Johnson really like Donald Trump? There are several articles in the press today asking and attempting to answer this question, all from their own impartial position of course. Yesterday I had the leisure to watch events unfold on British TV from the comfort of mum's living room. The weather was untenably hot and it was best to stay indoors. The only other thing I had to do was make cioppino and gooseberry galette with homemade cardamom ice cream for dinner with my neighbors in the evening. What a luxury, cooking and political news on TV!

 

One thing that constantly amazes me about the British political system is that a Prime Minister can be elected only by members of their own party if that party already has a Prime Minister in office. This happened when Teresa May took over from David Cameron and now about as Boris Johnson succeeds Teresa May. This, as the Guardian points out, means that Boris has been elected by a much smaller proportion of the population than was Trump. Boris Johnson may, or may not be able to win a General Election and no doubt we will find out in due course.

In the meantime, is he like Trump? Well, the comparison is tempting on looks alone, but appearances can be deceptive. Then there's the elite background they both come from, but American elite and British elite are not the same and cultural differences seem very apparent right from the beginning of Johnson's term in office.

One thing that has endeared me to Boris Johnson is that he's not an ignoramus like Trump. Boris's mother Charlotte is an artist and Boris is a lover and supporter of culture and the arts. Boris knows his history, apparently he identifies with the ancient Greek statesman and general Pericles. He is also an internationalist even while wanting to make Britain great again. As pointed out by CNN, Johnson needs to unite the country, unlike Trump who appears to have no problem with opening up deep and painful divisions.

It's exciting to have a breath of fresh air in No. 10 after the excruciating deadlock of recent months and I look forward to seeing how events unfold.