JANET STREET-PORTER: Boris Johnson’s baby couldn’t have arrived at a more difficult time

Middle-aged father-of-five (or possibly six) has – yet one more – baby: So will Boris Junior be a welcome small dose of ‘good news’ for house-bound Brits?

Boris will little doubt be celebrating in Downing Street tonight with a advantageous champagne, however what about the remainder of us? All infants are candy and charming, however this little boy couldn’t have arrived at a more difficult time.

Ordinary folks nonetheless can’t get a coronavirus take a look at (the federal government web site crashed but once more immediately – it’s simpler to get entrance row tickets for Elton John or Lady Gaga’s rescheduled excursions than safe a take a look at slot close to your private home) and most of us aren’t allowed again to work but as a result of we’re not thought of ‘essential’.

Meanwhile, previous individuals are dying alone and depressing in care houses. The wholesome over-70’s (of which I’m one) are condemned to be incarcerated and jobless till we die of boredom, so as to not overburden ‘our’ NHS. Front line employees are nonetheless dying as a result of they’ll’t get protecting clothes and Matt Hancock continues to bluster about his 100,000 testing ‘target’..

These are extraordinarily difficult instances – so how will the delivery of this son affect on the Prime Minister’s enormous workload?

He is charged with discovering a manner out of the mess his minister and band of scientists appear to have bought us into, with not even the primary baby steps in the direction of an exit technique.

And he’s already a man who has narrowly cheated dying in latest weeks and who appeared weaker and considerably subdued throughout his solely public look since leaving hospital.

After two weeks recuperation at Chequers, Boris returned to Downing Street simply this Monday (ordered by docs to take issues gently), solely to have to skip his first Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament due to the delivery.

Robot Raab was again at the wheel – the person who couldn’t look forward to Boris to bounce again, take cost and make some selections about ending lockdown earlier than the nation goes bankrupt.

Now he has to fret about a new baby. Dare I recommend, this case is way from splendid?

One query bothers me – why oh why, does Boris Johnson hold fathering kids? At the age of 55 there are 4 grown up offspring from his second marriage to Marina Wheeler, and a daughter, Stephanie, the product of an affair in 2009 performed whereas he was Mayor of London.

Court paperwork trace at one other little one, the identification of which has remained secret. According to a different super-breeder, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Boris has joined the ‘unique membership whose members are fathers of six”.

Fathering six kids by a number of moms sends out a message, and it’s not one I discover significantly engaging or appealling.

Along with making macho speak about conflict and ‘fighting’ coronavirus, fathering kids isn’t difficult. But why hold at it in your mid fifties?

Boris is a Marmite character, you both discover him insufferably pompous, priveleged and shallow, or unbelievably charismatic and charming.

Fans say his power and drive make up for a lack of grasp of element, and declare he’s the one one who can unite the British individuals with all their disparate cliques and lessons. It definitely labored for former Labour voters within the North, seduced by his bullish posturing over Brexit.

Boris followers are ready to ‘overlook’ his adulterous nature, the very fact he cheated on his second spouse, the very fact he performed inappropriate relationships whereas Mayor of London. And I’m not even mentioning the pole dancing tech girl with a useful flat within the East End, which he used to go to for lunchtime ‘briefing’ classes.

To be blunt, Boris could also be fertile, however has he bought the main target, to not point out the power, to provide you with a plan to save lots of the UK earlier than ‘dishy’ Rishi depletes the coffers along with his well-meaning bail-out schemes?

The congratulations are cascading in from politicians on all sides. Boris is just the third PM in 150 years to have fathered a little one whereas in workplace. Trump can be on Twitter any second including his incoherent good needs. Kim Jong Un will in all probability rise from the useless to ship greetings from his Royal Train at the Korean seaside. Macron and Merkel can be wishing the couple nicely. Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer has been babbling in regards to the ‘incredible relief and joy’ the delivery will deliver.

All very predictable within the insincere scheming world of politics.

But let’s speak about double requirements, are you able to think about a feminine Prime Minister giving delivery to her sixth little one by three completely different males (at least) while coping with the more serious disaster in half a century?

Obviously Boris did not know that Covid was going to occur, however we all know he determined to have a little one along with his fiancee while in the course of tortuous (and nonetheless unresolved) Brexit negotiations, to not point out a divorce which dragged on for ages and was solely finalised this February, when Carrie was already nicely superior in her being pregnant.

Do Prime Ministers must have youngsters to show how ‘normal’ they’re? How they perceive our humdrum lives and issues?

Maggie Thatcher’s son Mark prompted her nothing however embarrassment, however she adored him, far more than she cared for her daughter Carol, who ended up showing on I’m a Celebrity and weeing by her bunk.

Poor Theresa May was compelled to clarify why she didn’t have kids, which should have been mortifying for this extremely personal girl.

Tony Blair feigned embarrassment when Cherie blurted out that Baby Leo was in all probability conceived throughout a weekend at Balmoral when she forgot to pack her contraceptive system. David Cameron was thrilled to welcome one other little one after the tragic dying of his much-loved son Leo.

Having a baby in workplace may give a male politician a bounce within the recognition polls- there’s nothing like a wee baby in a scarf to make a center aged Prime Minister look nearly regular.

The sub-text is – I’m a macho man who nonetheless has intercourse and may produce spawn.

Sleepless nights lie forward for Mr Johnson, and also you may marvel if his well being as much as the job? The job of coping with coronavirus, that’s.

Luckily for us, we already know (from his different kids) that at least he doesn’t do nappies.