Alex Who? One May Ask!

Who the bloody hell is Alex Burghart? A man who stood in for Kemi Badenoch. A man who has had a chequered political career below the radar. A chequered career both politically and otherwise.

Burghart clashed with Angela Rayner yesterday and he had enemies and friends thinking who is this guy? Burghart delivered a list of questions and answers that were frank and to the point. Attacking Labour as preying on private schools, higher taxes, small businesses, etc. He said "Same old Labour Party" class wars and all that. Rayner hit back describing typical Tories and the same old Conservative Party.

If Burghart isn't a household home name now, Sky News reckon he will be. Before being made Badenoch's second, Badonoch served in Boris's cabinet. Burghart resigned over the Chris Pincher scandal. Burghart is 47 and outside of politics, he worked for the BBC. He was educated at Millfield School, is a historian and obtained a PhD from King's College, Oxford. Mr. Burghart also worked for the 'Times Literary Supplement'.

Mr. Burghart replaced Eric Pickles a Peter Griffin-lookalike MP in 2017. Pickles was also compared to the Labour Deputy Prime Minister under Tony Blair, John Prescott. Unfortunately, veering off topic for a moment, John Prescott at 86 has sadly passed away. Burghart was an MP with various cabinet roles as a junior minister.

Burghart in his demeanour is very much what one would consider a stereotypical, bespectacled, Tory, upper-crust male. His way of speaking and his mannerisms betray his background and education. That's not to say there are no Tories from ordinary backgrounds. However, Burghart fits the cap and he wears it well. That's also not to say there are not well-off Labour MPs alongside those from an ordinary background.

So like Sunak before him, is Burghart a rising star within the Tory Party's ranks? Sky News would certainly have you believe that. It's even pitching Burghart as a future Tory leader! At this rate, Sky will leap 5 years into the future, have Burghart replacing Badenoch, winning the general election and becoming Prime Minister (God forbid!).

Back in this reality, Kemi Badenoch who some regard as a token black person to show the Tories are not racist, is the leader. The Tories will not be in a hurry to replace one leader for another. In power, one Prime Minister replaced another so no one should take a lecture from the Tories on leadership. Ms. Badenoch, from a Tory point of view, must be given the chance to prove herself. And prove herself she will over 5 years of this Labour administration.

If one had to score both Rayner and Burghart (not that I like this way of doing things!) I'll score it based on my observation. Rayner was as formidable as ever. Her Mancunian, Liam Gallegher's way of being combative was present. However, it was Burghart's first foray as standing in for Ms. Badenoch as Opposition Deputy. Burghart used his Oxbridge education and mannerisms to deliver questions and answers that made people sit up. So if I had to score it, Rayner may have been taken aback initially by Burghart's onslaught. This was not the mild-mannered, working-class, ginger-haired, Oliver Dowden (not unlike Angela herself). No, this was a haughty, typical Tory, haranguing Angela Rayner in the personage of Alex Burghart. However, it's fair to say Angela remained steadfast and stood her ground as this posh boy delivered his scathing words.

Angela Rayner welcomed Alex Burghart as the new Deputy Leader of The Opposition. No such thank you came back from Alex Burghart. One would have thought given his background manners maketh man. Unfortunately, no such "Thank you" was forthcoming. Burghart launched into his tirade of questions straight away.

There will be future battles between Rayner and Burghart. Both will now have a measure of each other and their advisors will be advising them accordingly.