Re: Burnham would come to dunce inane
Boris Johnson wasn't "honest" or even "someone who's dishonest but knows what they believe in", unless you count the fact that he believed in advancing his own career and self-interest.
I completely disagree. Johnson has been a consistent social liberal, including defending peoples' right to wear the burkha (in an article against France actually banning it), admittedly in unhelpfully insulting language. Also a pretty consistent centrist on the economy - i.e. the centre left of the Conservative Party. Called himself a "Brexity Heseltine". Also a consistent Eurosceptic for 30 years before the Brexit vote. Whether he decided which way to vote for whatever reason - there were plenty of Eurosceptics who campaigned for remain.
He was hyper-ambitious. But you don't get to be PM unless you are. He was also consistent on policy throughout his political career. I wouldn't trust him, but unlike Starmer you'd have a pretty good idea what policies he stood for - which isn't something anyone can say about Starmer even after he's been PM for 2 years.
Johnson isn't honest. He'll lie outright, if he thinks he can get away with it. And sometimes seemingly because it's easier now, and the future consequences can just look after themselves. So totally unsuitable for PM. Someone like Blair tended to tell a lawyer's truth. Use of misleading language while not telling an outright falsehood. Brown mostly did that, but sometimes just lied outright, when he thought he could get away with it. Starmer also outright lies quite a lot, whereas I'd expected him to be like Blair and use lawyer tricks. But worse, Starmer lies about what he believes in. Blair was relatively consistent on policy, a sharp political operator and happy to use spin all day long, but still had actual ideas about policy and an idea of what his government was for. Starmer just seems to want to be in office - i.e. he's as unhealthily ambitious as Johnson. He's also a liar, although not as much as Johnson. But worse, Starmer lies about what he believes in, not just for everyday convenience to avoid scandal. He lied to his party saying he'd be "Corbyn but competent". Then immediately set about abandoning Corbyn's policies, while not being very much more competent.
I'm not a fan of any of these four politicians, but I'd prefer Blair to Brown, Brown to Johnson and all of them to Starmer. Because the first three at least had an idea of the policies they believed in - and in the end that's half of what you're voting on.
