Boris Johnson & the daily briefing: a continuing history of absences
While Boris Johnson took Prime Minister’s Questions today, looking somewhat dishevelled and not arguably at his best he didn’t take the daily COVID-19 press conference, despatching another clean shaven Minister in a suit to do the job.
While when the daily briefings were launched in mid-March they were styled as Boris Johnson speaking to the nation each day in practice since his return from illness at Easter he has appeared rarely.
Of course he may be still be less than well,although he has reportedly been out jogging in a praiseworthy effort to exercise and lose weight, or feel that delegating the task is sensible.
However the wider context is his history of absences
In the crucial weeks before March (2020) Boris Johnson did not attend any of the five virus meetings held by Cobra, the emergency committee, in January and February and spent 12 days out of the public eye while on a ‘working’ holiday at (Chevening) in Kent.
Sunday Times 19th April
James Griffin, then Professor of Classical Literature at Balliol…was tolerant of Boris’s absences and late or non-existent work
Sonia Purnell, Just Boris
Boris’s persistent absences meant that mistakes were made that a more meticulous editor might have avoided
Sonia Purnell on Johnson’s period as Editor of the Spectator
‘not for the first time..the cry went up: Where is Boris’.
Sonia Purnell on attempts to contact Johnson, Mayor of London, after the start of rioting in London on 6/7th August 2011
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