The Tory Troll has an excellent report of today’s Mayoral Questions. Particularly eye-catching today was Boris’ particular use of language:
“But as his questioners refused to be fobbed off, he lost all patience and accused them of being ‘pompous’ and obsessed with the ‘prosopography’ of his administration.And as if that language wasn’t ‘clear and unambiguous’ enough, he went on to deny any comparison between himself and a ‘potemkin figure’ pitched to conceal the real source of power. No such comparison had been made. However, with no translator or historian to hand, Assembly members were forced to ask their questions all over again. And frustrated as he was with the assembly’s apparent ignorance of medieval and communist era military history and their relevance to London government, Boris switched instead to his ever-trusty stock of Latin proverbs, none of which seemed to do the trick.”
Doesn’t Boris realise that his consistent inability to speak in plain english looks suspicious? He must be aware that most Londoners haven’t had a classical education and don’t habitually carry a thesauraus.
If he doesn’t know that, then someone needs to issue a swift call from reality. If he does, then questions need to be asked; namely, why doesn’t Boris communicate in language everyone understands? It looks evasive, as if he’s quite willing to mystify the concerned citizens of London if it lets him avoid a sticky point.
Perhaps Boris just gets a kick from his particular brand of arcane elocution. Maybe it makes him feel somehow special and elevated. But, in practical terms, it’s little more than the bluster we saw during his election campaign – and should be treated in exactly the same way. Ridicule, public humiliation and rigorous scrutiny should soon cure the Mayor of his little addiction to big words…
Tags: bluster · obscurantism6 Comments
6 responses so far ↓
Ack, the formatting appears to have gone wrong…
Every time that I try to change it for you, it reverts back to this rather unsightly format. I’ll have another attempt at educating it…
Isn’t the colourful way Boris communicates precisely what a lot of people like about Boris? If he gave up his “arcane elocution” as you put it, some people might rightly think they’re not getting the Boris they voted for.
Clearly you’re not a fan, but I suspect it’s one of those Marmite situations where you either love it or hate it.
We’re back to promises again I’m afraid. From the Mayoral Priorities published on his website:
“Use Plain English
The Mayor was elected on a platform of accountability and transparency, and part of that is communicating in a clear and unambiguous manner.”
If you don’t mean it, don’t say it.
Yes, however charming Boris’s loquacity may be, the mayor needs to be understood. Would one want an obscurantist doctor?
Boris’s appearance on this mornings Today programme was laughable and the retort from Ken, the DCMS and LOCOG(?) were superb.
I hope there’ll be posat about it later?