IF the bookies and pundits are to be believed, we were watching Britain's next prime minister. On the upside, at least Boris Johnson appeared to undertake more preparation for yesterday's leadership campaign launch speech than he did ahead of his dithering address to the DUP conference last November. Introduced by a bellowing Geoffrey Cox, the former foreign secretary looked to be on his best behaviour. This time around we were spared the jocular, laboured delivery and the voicing of support for building a bridge across the North Channel but that's not to say he's abandoned hare-brain notions altogether.
Mr Johnson acknowledged the "morass" at Westminster but believes he can win MPs' support for an alternative withdrawal agreement by playing chicken with the EU, a game in which the latter will ultimately blink. Despite being portrayed as someone who wants a no deal, he insists that isn't his preferred outcome but the best way to get a deal is to prepare for crashing out. It's approach he claims will unite the UK. Interesting logic from the MP who again refused to provide clarity on his past cocaine usage.
In front of supporters that included former secretary of state James Brokenshire, one-time international development secretary Priti Patel and Eurosceptic high priest Jacob Rees Mogg, the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip delivered classic Boris of broad sweeps and bluster, painting an alternative benign reality that bears no relation to the mess in which British politics finds itself. Casting himself as straight talking and the only Tory leader capable of seeing off bogeymen Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage, who together represent "insurgent parties", he said his actions as prime minister would strengthen the union, or what he described as the "invincible quartet, the awesome foursome".
There was no mention of the Irish border or the backstop just thinly veiled jingoistic rhetoric that will likely characterise his time in Number 10. The Tory leadership battle will become increasingly combative over the coming weeks and will likely descend into the dirt too. A lot can happen between now and the final ballot to derail the favourite's hopes but if we were indeed watching Britain's next prime minster there was nothing to reassure those on this side of the Irish Sea who believe Brexit poses huge economic and political challenges.
