Boris aims to lead the shooting party…

…was a headline in the Evening Standard yesterday (Londoner’s Diary).

The Tory supporters of Uxbridge are in for a  real change when the birdwatching Sir John Randall is replaced by bird-blasting Boris Johnson next May (other candidates are available but may not get a look-in).

Photo: Adam Proctor via wikimedia commons
Photo: Adam Proctor via wikimedia commons

Boris has been off grouse shooting it seems.  A Twitter account under the name of @MrJimbobBig tweeted ‘Shame about the fog  this morning but had a good day on the grouse moors with @MayorofLondon today #BorisJohnson #Shooting

Boris is a fairly easily identifiable species so an id error seems unlikely.  The Standard says that Boris was also spotted boarding a train at Newcastle so it all adds up.

Was that the train where he was assaulted, allegedly, by a  Brentford fan (but there seems quite a lot of doubt about that element of it)?  I feel for Mr Johnson if he really were given a smack by a lout but, despite that, I  wish it had been a Kidderminster (Harriers) fan rather than a Brentford (Bees) fan – it would have been so much more  appropriate (in an inappropriate sort of way). Even Crystal Palace (Eagles) would have been a better choice of lout.

But I wonder if Boris paid for his grouse shooting or was he a guest? And if so, of whom? The Standard said that Boris’s office was not commenting on where the boss had been shooting grouse (though there is no indication of a denial that he had been doing just that) so I wonder whether it is just possible that he was a guest of the grouse moor manager mentioned on page 284 of Fighting for Birds who told me that he was a very rich and powerful person with very close links with the Conservative Party? It’s certainly possible.

David Cameron has tried to distance himself from his shooting friends since becoming PM, except for treating Defra as though it were the Ministry for Fieldsports in his choice of Ministers, but maybe the Shooting Party’s heir apparent doesn’t feel he has to hide his enthusiasm for shooting.  I wonder where Boris stands on the protection of Hen Harriers?  Maybe the voters of Uxbridge will ask him.

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3 Replies to “Boris aims to lead the shooting party…”

  1. Boris wanted to be king when young ( yes, really) but has now settled for Prime Minister. I think he sees himself as an heir to Churchill. But to me he is a dangerous clown more popular than Billy Smart ever was . . His Boris Island plan tells you everything about his love of wildlife

  2. All raptors are increasing nationwide except Hen Harriers apart from Langholm should we all take part in the GWCT job rather than diss it all?
    Big Mark who has an hidden agenda will know doubt answer?

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