Boris Johnson vs. John Wilkes

[thedaffodils]

The paradox of the Boris campaign - the overturning of the class caricature - was that he ran as a people's tribune, not as a royal pretender. Reviled by his opponents as a toff, the Etonian aspired to wrest the city from its Cockney monarch and restore it to its citizens.
Boris was the John Wilkes of this contest, not the restorationist of an old Tory order. There is no such order to restore. It is long gone. The builders of the Cameron generation start from scratch (indeed, that is their fundamental insight).

Hi,

What is the author's connotation for " Boris was John Wiles" here? I knew both of them were journalists. What are the common points between the both persons?

I saw a picture of the statue of John Wilkes in London from Wikipedia. Is he highly respected by Brits or Londoners?

Thanks!

John Wilkes (17 October 1725 – 26 December 1797) was an English radical, journalist and politician.
In the Middlesex election dispute, he fought for the right of voters—rather than the House of Commons—to determine their representatives. In 1771 he was instrumental in obliging the government to concede the right of printers to publish verbatim accounts of parliamentary debates. In 1776 he introduced the first Bill for parliamentary reform in the British Parliament. Wilkes' increasing conservatism as he grew older caused dissatisfaction among radicals and was instrumental in the loss of his Middlesex seat at the 1790 general election. Wilkes then retired from politics and took no part in the growth of radicalism in the 1790s.

[RonBee]

That's British history that I didn't know before. (We await a Brit to answer your questions.)

[thedaffodils]

That's British history that I didn't know before. (We await a Brit to answer your questions.)

Anyway, thank you! I treat you popcorn.

[RonBee]

Anyway, thank you! I treat you popcorn.

Thanks.

[Anglika]

Hi,

What is the author's connotation for " Boris was John Wiles" here? I knew both of them were journalists. What are the common points between the both persons?

I saw a picture of the statue of John Wilkes in London from Wikipedia. Is he highly respected by Brits or Londoners?

Thanks!

John Wilkes was a radical reformist. The journalist is suggesting that Boris J. will be taking radical action to reform the way that Greater London will be run.

I suspect that most Britons haven't a clue who John Wilkes is

[thedaffodils]

Hi Anglika,

Thanks a lot for your answer. I was thinking that it was probably you or Bobk who would answer this since you two are Brits.

Hope it is not too cold for you to have an ice scream cone there. Or would you like popcorn sometimes?


Cheers!

[Anglika]

Hi Anglika,

Thanks a lot for your answer. I was thinking that it was probably you or Bobk who would answer this since you two are Brits.

Hope it is not too cold for you to have an ice scream cone there. Or would you like popcorn sometimes?


Cheers!

An ice cream cone would be lovely - vanilla flavour, please

[BobK]

...I suspect that most Britons haven't a clue who John Wilkes is

Me, for one. Well - I have a clue (but only because of the quotation: "Gentlemen, we must all hang together. If not, we will most certainly hang separately" - and I may have got even that wrong.)

b

[BobK]

That quote was Ben Franklin's. Wilkes must have said something else....

b

[Snowcake]

Bob, you may have been thinking of one of these quotations.

John Wilkes quotes

Sorry, I was too curious.