Just What is Boris Playing At?

The ever-mighty BoJo is causing problems for his party with his *crazy* demand that the people should be consulted over further integration into Europe. No doubt his intervention - just at a time when Cameron was no doubt celebrating having a united party ready to take office - has moved the London Mayor from the top of the Tory leader's Christmas card list to the top of his shit list.

This does beg the question, though, of what the hell Boris thinks he is doing raising this highly contentious and divisive issue at this point. As far as I can see, there are three potential answers:

1. Boris doesn't know what he is doing. He isn't politically canny enough to realise the damage he is doing to his party. He is an airhead in City Hall who is so lost in his own little world that he doesn't take into account just how damaging his outburst is. Now, this is persuasive for those who wish to fool themselves as to BoJo's intellect. Yes, he looks a little shambolic. Yes, he struggles to be coherent sometimes. But he isn't a stupid man. He is, despite appearances, a very canny politician. And he knows exactly what he is doing here.
2. This is all part of Boris positioning himself for his next move. Let's not deny Boris is ambitious; you don't become an MP and then Mayor of London if you're not. And I don't think that Boris' ambition has been fully satisfied as yet. I think we will see Boris returning to parliament at some point, and being a viable contender for the Tory leadership. He has the experience of direct government, and by speaking out on the EU, he is showing himself to be an independent mind who will not bow down to the leadership on every issue. If he continues like this, then when Cameron is a discredited, unpopular Prime Minister (say in six years time) and the party is looking for someone different to Cameron, BoJo will be able to step forward and point towards his independence, and use that as a reason to run for the Tory leadership.
3. Maybe he believes what is saying. Maybe Boris thinks that the British people should consulted over EU expansion and the erosion of the powers of the UK government. This is what I like to think is the reason behind his intervention, although the self-serving nature of politicians in this day and age makes me doubt it. But part of me really wants to think that Boris is doing the right thing, and acting as a politician with opinions and a respect for giving the people of this country a voice.

Still, whatever happens Boris' intervention is good news. It may not help unity at the Tory party conference - although that doesn't worry me in the slightest - but at least it puts a crucial question facing the UK back on the political agenda. The Tories - as our next government - need to sort out just what their policy towards Europe is going to be. Pretending it isn't there in the hope that it will go away isn't a constructive or responsible position for the Tories to be taking.