Is It Right For Our Foreign Secretary To Call For Mass Demonstrations Outside The Russian Embassy?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-calls-for-demonstrations-outside-russian-embassy-over-moscow-s-role-in-the-syrian-a7356066.html

[-Talbot-]

Nope.

[ToraToraTora]

No he should stay out of it.

[Baldric]

No!

[dannyk13]

It was Anne Clwyd who proposed this.

[-Talbot-]

btw
who is running America at the moment.

I mean ... Obama has retired hasn't he?

[naomi24]

No, it isn’t right – but don’t you think there’s a sub-text here? When it comes to intervention from the west, the ‘Stop the War Coalition’ is in evidence. However, in this instance it is conspicuous by its absence. I think that's what he's saying.

[andy-hughes]

No.

No politician, especially a senior government minister, should be encouraging pubic order offences.

[Gromit]

A dangerous move from a polician who trades in gimmicks and PR stunts. He now has a very serious job, and daft ideas such as this should be filtered out.

A much better target for a demonstration would be the evil wahabbi butchers at the Saudi Arabian embassy, who are inflicting atrocities in Yemen. But we support Saudi Arabia, so nothing is said about their barbarism.

I laughed when Boris was given the job as foreign secretary. I am now worried that he is not fit for the job.

[anotheoldgit]

naomi24

That's a very good point you make there.

[naomi24]

Thank you, aog.

[dannyk13]

andy-hughes


///No politician, especially a senior government minister, should be encouraging pubic order offences///
It is not an offence to hold a peaceful demonstration.

[Khandro]

Boris Johnson should be removed from his post, he is proving, and worse looking, to be a poor choice as foreign secretary, lacking in the gravitas and tact required for that position.
He has, apart from this gaffe, told Turkey he will do all he can to help them become members of the EU.

[ChillDoubt]

What naomi said. Despite kidding people with his bumbling, 'ex public schoolboy who accidentally fell into a top job act' Boris is in fact a tad wilier than he's given credit for.

[douglas9401]

These pubic order offences, are they ranked by length, curliness or what?
Are we expected to affect a parting or something?

[Old_Geezer]

I don't decry it exactly, as I understand that a demonstration applies pressure; but think it is more diplomatic for a Foreign Secretary not to get their hands dirty like that.

A better option is to leave demonstrations as the spontaneous voice of the people (or a sub-group of the whole) so as not to be hampered by the accusation of inciting it and thus being on hostile rather than on friendly negotiating terms; and to take the more diplomatic roll discussing with the foreign officials directly.

[hereIam]

God no, and I also agree with naomi and chilldoubt.

[Old_Geezer]

Even if that is what he is saying, it doesn't affect the affect of his bringing it up as if he was approving of it. There is a time to speak and a time not to. And that sort of thing is best leaked from sources near to the government, or preferably, totally away from the government.

[mikey4444]

I think it was Anne Clwyd that first suggested this but I think its a good idea, although its a teeny bit unusual for a senior Tory to be saying this. But, then again, it is Boris I suppose ! Putin and Assad are getting away with blue murder here, and the rest of the world just stands there, doing nothing.

So, lets stop pussy-footing around Putin on this issue, and while we are about it, lets have a no-fly zone as well.

[ichkeria]

Yes. Why on earth not.

[anotheoldgit]

mikey4444

/// So, lets stop pussy-footing around Putin on this issue, and while we are about it, lets have a no-fly zone as well. ///

Oh!, and we shoot down any Russian plane that ventures into the no-fly zone do we?

Not really gave that much thought have you Mikey?