Boris Johnson lost the plot during his 20-minute address to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) today. The Prime Minister was announcing a plethora of green policies, but the occasion will be remembered for him delivering quite possibly his most bewildering speech to date in which he:
• Quoted Vladimir Lenin’s “Report On The Work Of The Council Of People’s Commissars” when discussing the “electrification” of the British economy.
• Compared himself to Moses, suggesting he had descended from “Mount Sinai” to hand civil servants his Net Zero framework.
• Referred to himself in the third-person by praising “the vision” of the former Mayor of London.
• Impersonated the “vroom, vroom, rah, rah” of an accelerating car.
• Spent three minutes hailing a family trip yesterday to Peppa Pig World.
• And worst of all, lost his place, leafing through dozens of pages while business chiefs were left in silence.
All in all, a painful viewing experience that will trouble Tory MPs already worried about the Prime Minister. They want to see signs he is getting a grip, not losing the plot. As Sky News cut away from the conference, presenter Ian King could be heard saying: “That was as excruciating to watch as Theresa May’s speech in 2017 to the Conservative conference”.
Watch the full shambles here: