After eight days that saw the Prime Minister jetting off to summits in Kigali, Bavaria and Madrid, insiders say he is feeling confident on foreign affairs. They say confidence is demonstrated by his response to the Ukraine crisis. “The defense establishment was telling him to be careful about provoking Putin and he just said, ‘screw it,’” said one source. The reason the UK is now far more popular in Kyiv than France or Germany is because of the government’s aggressive approach, they added: “Ultimately it comes down to the cojones factor.” But that won’t help him shore up support in Westminster. An MP from 2019 said this week that the relationship between younger Tory MPs and No 10 was “bad”, partly because the Government had failed to deliver retail policies that could be sold on the doorstep and help those “red walls”. Conservatives stand their ground: “They don’t understand a recruitment too closely tied to their patches, and the focus of a term for some is hard for them to understand.” Johnson has already tried to retool his office, tightening his inner circle after complaining that his daily morning meeting had ended up with so many people he didn’t recognize all of them. Some in the group believe this is unfinished business as the Prime Minister has failed to reverse the image built on him by former allies – such as Dominic Cummings – as a fiercely divisive culture warrior. One insider said: “He’s gone from this liberal unifier to some kind of racist, misogynist monster and that’s not who he is.” Another option is to begin a cabinet reshuffle, an option that has been discussed in Whitehall for several months but has yet to materialize. No 10 has ruled out a reshuffle during the summer break – but there will be at least a slight reshuffle of the cabinet following the resignations of Mr Dowden after the by-election and deputy chief whip Chris Pincher over yet another vulgarity scandal. Any changes will either have to come in the next three weeks or be delayed until the autumn, when the Commons privileges committee will investigate ‘Partygate’ inevitably raising fresh questions about Mr Johnson’s future. Dismissing any big cabinet beasts would risk creating dangerous new enemies. More important than any personnel changes will be whether or not the government can convince voters it has a workable plan to reduce inflation and stimulate the economy. The Prime Minister is preparing a joint speech with Rishi Sunak to be delivered this month, seen by insiders as a crucial moment in repairing Johnson’s bruised reputation with his party. The men will stress the need for the departments to work closely together on economic strategy – for example, negotiating with businesses such as whiskey exporters to ensure they are ready to take advantage of any potential benefits from India’s upcoming trade deal. Mr Johnson began his unprecedented fortnight abroad in less than ideal conditions. Last Monday morning, he underwent an operation on his sinuses, which forced him to formally hand over power to Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, as he recovered from general anaesthesia. Officials were stunned to see him appear back at the Downing Street office, “in overalls and boots”, within just a few hours. For a Prime Minister who has been open about his struggles with yo-yo dieting, he showed a resilience he would have to call on repeatedly during a marathon eight-day trip to Rwanda, Germany and Spain for Commonwealth, G7 and of NATO. . On his way down to Kigali, Johnson faced a political backdrop of strikes gripping the country and two looming by-elections. The assistants traveling with him were defiant, however – one insisted: “I’ve been in this job for a few years.” The big advantage of being busy with the summit, according to No 10 officials, is that the Prime Minister has had no time to dwell on his problems in Westminster. But on the morning of the double by-election defeat, he had no choice: Mr Johnson had phone calls with several “Cabinet colleagues”, including Rishi Sunak in a sign that the relationship between the two men may now be thawing, to to try and ensure that no one would follow Oliver Dowden in abdicating and challenging his authority. He sparked a new round of headlines in Rwanda by telling reporters he was already considering a third term in power, which would take him into the mid-2030s. Aides tried to pass it off as a “joke,” but the comments were repeatedly questioned and angered Conservative MPs back home. Apparently realizing his mistake, Mr Johnson refused to answer further questions about his future – although he admitted he was nostalgic for his days in journalism, when he could spew political speculation with impunity. During one of his many flights from conference room to conference room, the Prime Minister told the press pack: “I have realized where I have gone wrong with all this. I have to admit that years and years ago, I used to do the jobs you all do now, and it was a wonderful, wonderful life and a great privilege, and what you can do is offer opinion, commentary, analysis, predictions about politics, about individuals and so on. I think I should acknowledge that I am no longer a member of this holy guild. It would be a demarcation for me to cross and start talking about politics.” Once again, the Prime Minister tried to escape his tumultuous domestic politics by fooling around with other leaders. He held his first meeting with Anthony Albanese, Australia’s new left-leaning prime minister, who roughed him up by launching into surprise rants – his predecessor Scott Morrison had “knocked it on the climate”, he said – and showered him with lavish praise. on Margaret Thatcher’s green credentials. At the G7 in Bavaria, Johnson struck up a friendship with Emmanuel Macron after years of feuding with the French leader. Both indulged in a nightly dram of Bavarian whiskey at the Schloss, but a source claimed the Prime Minister didn’t stay until the early hours because – ironically – “it’s not a party”. Anglo-French rivalry reignited in the form of a race to get from Germany to Spain: Mr Macron’s fleet of three planes managed to leave Munich later and arrive in Madrid earlier than Mr Macron’s single charter jet. .Johnson, which No 10 officials said was because the British plane traveled at a slower speed to conserve fuel and help the environment. It was in Spain that domestic politics again intruded into the Prime Minister’s world as Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss joined Mr Johnson and immediately pressed him for a major increase in military spending. Both are seen as potential future leaders if the incumbent is toppled – but allies insist that is not why they have spoken out. Wallace is unlikely to face a slap on the wrists from No 10 because Johnson admires his frank style, according to one insider: “Ben can get away with a lot because he speaks humanly, it’s not just wooden repetitive lines.” Ms Truss finds it “disappointing” that her policy interventions are so often seen in the context of a potential leadership contest, an ally told i, adding: “Higher defense spending is completely in line and consistent with her vision for foreign policy UK policy and the strategy it pushes’. With an increasingly outspoken cabinet and no sign of improvement in the polls, the Prime Minister is likely to find recovery at home far more difficult than glamor abroad.
