i don't think it's an extraordinary thing to say that boris has a remarkable ability to communicate in the united kingdom. it really is quite phenomenal. in a way, he is a political alchemist and he has a fantastic ability to carry a message across and get an image that sticks with people. but the reality is languages work differently, cultures work differently and it's really hard to translate a joke. you speak half a dozen languages, a former soldier who spent a lot of time abroad. there would be some who think, "why isn't he in government?" because goverments are a team and prime ministers need people around them who they work well with and politics is personal. you need to get on with the team who is around you. you could never serve borisjohnson because you fell out when he was foreign secretary? well, i don't think we did. we get on perfectly well when we see each other, and we text each other,