Star comment: Simply being Boris is no longer enough

Boris Johnson’s unique selling point for voters has, up to now, been that he has been Boris Johnson.

That is not Boris Johnson the politician, Boris Johnson the Tory party leader, or Boris Johnson the Prime Minister. But Boris Johnson, the cuddly fun figure who doesn’t conform with the normal political rules, and says and does things that others do not say or do.

Comparisons have been made with Donald Trump, another anti-politician figure who, for supporters and those cast under the spell, was a breath of fresh air among the stale, scripted, conformist dwellers of national political spaces.

Being Boris Johnson worked a treat for Boris Johnson electorally. He has had no shortage of detractors and critics, who include influential and senior figures in the hierarchy of his own political party, but has had the ability to soar above them and appeal directly to ordinary people.

Whatever his faults, failing to win votes was not one of them. Some of his internal Tory party critics have had to learn to live with their doubts and smell the coffee.

The whole Boris Johnson edifice has had the appearance of invincibility, armour-plated by millions of votes and wins in virtually every important vote in which he has been a key player.

Once he stopped being a votes magnet, the one quality which justified keeping him in power and in office was diminished. And that is where he is now, with a new opinion poll showing that 54 per cent of respondents think he has done a bad job as Prime Minister, part of an overall trend of a weakening of his standing in the eyes of the public.

Clearly the British public are growing tired of him. He has already had a warning shot in the North Shropshire by-election.

He might hang on, but what is obvious is that simply being Boris is no longer enough.

England choosing Molineux for prestigious international matches is well-deserved reward for a club that has in place one of the most impressive stadiums in the country.

More importantly, it is a recognition of a fanbase that is among the best in the world.

The passion and knowledge shown by fans of all West Midlands clubs is second to none.

With England’s training ground just down the road in Staffordshire, it makes sense to bring matches here. Wembley will always be special, but the West Midlands is a hotbed of football. It, along with the North West and North East, deserves to have international football played on the doorstep.

England boss Gareth Southgate has spoken of the Molineux crowd and how it embraces under-21 football. Now, with a women’s international also coming next week, we can show the world how to put on a show.