LONDON — Obiter dicta. Inconsequential remarks.
With one archaic Latin expression, Boris Johnson on Tuesday dismissed his three decades’ worth of exaggeration and occasional insult, insisting he was fit to represent Britain as it navigates a path out of the European Union. In his maiden news conference as foreign secretary, the surprising choice for top diplomat won cautious support from the U.K.’s most important ally: the United States.
Reading closely from his script, Johnson toned down his typical off-the-cuff candor in a joint news conference with Secretary of State John Kerry. Instead, the former London mayor and key protagonist in last month’s “Brexit” drama sought to emphasize the importance of the U.S.-U.K. “special relationship” and the need for Britain to play an even greater role on the world stage.
But first there was history to deal with.
After President Barack Obama stepped into Britain’s referendum debate in April, lobbying for the “remain” side, Johnson accused the U.S. leader of harboring a part-Kenyan’s “ancestral dislike of the British empire.” He had previously compared Hillary Clinton, a potential successor to Obama, to Lady Macbeth.
On Tuesday, Johnson listened to a recitation of his past remarks and said, “I’m afraid there is such a rich thesaurus now of things that I’ve said one way or another through what alchemy I do not know, somehow misconstrued that it would really take me too long to engage in any full-blown itinerary of apology to all concerned.”
