Boris Johnson's new communications chief has reassured the British people about his new boss, saying, "He's not the devil like some have mischaracterized him." As evidence, Guto Harri detailed his meeting Friday with the embattled prime minister, the first since his hiring, the BBC reports. Harri, who's known Johnson for decades, later said, "90% of our discussion was very serious, but he's a character and there is fun to be had." The other 10% came after Harri's opening question, which was, per the Guardian, "Are you going to survive, Boris?" That led to a disco moment.
Johnson began slowly singing the 1970s disco hit, "I Will Survive." When Johnson paused, Harri said, "I inevitably invited him to say: 'You’ve got all your life to live,' and he replied: 'I've got all my love to give,' so we had a little blast from Gloria Gaynor." There was much laughter, Harri said. "No one expects that, but that’s how it was." When they got serious, the two talked about "how to get the government back on track," he said. Five of Johnson's aides quit last week as his government tries to survive the scandal over festive gatherings at Downing Street that violated COVID-19 restrictions.
Members of Johnson's Conservative Party are among those who want him to resign. The deputy leader of the opposition Labor Party was not amused by the musical meeting. "Did I mention that there are no serious people left to serve?" Angela Rayne said. "They think it’s all just one big joke, don't they?" Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon also called the story more "offensive" than funny, per the BBC. Harri tried to vouch to the British people for their prime minister. "He's not a complete clown," Harri said, "but he's a very likable character." (More Boris Johnson stories.)
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