Boris Johnson’s classic PR blunder (or was it?)

OK, let’s assume for just one moment that former London Mayor, current Foreign Secretary and let’s not forget, until recently one of the best-paid newspaper journalists in the country, did just pen an article about remaining in the EU as an elaborate exercise when compiling the pros and cons about the situation before making his mind up about which side to back. Seems feasible – right?

Although, I would have to wonder where this (seemingly) incredibly busy man finds the time to write articles that he has no intention of publishing.

Following publication of the leaked article, Boris told Sky News: ““Everybody was trying to make up their minds about whether or not to leave the European Union and it is perfectly true that back in February I was wrestling with it, like I think a lot of people in this country, and I wrote a long piece which came down overwhelmingly in favour of leaving.

“I then thought I better see if I can make the alternative case for myself so I then wrote a sort of semi-parodic article in the opposite sense, which has mysteriously found its way into the paper this morning because I think I might have sent it to a friend.”

But continuing to assume that Boris uses this process when “wrestling” with important decisions, you have to wonder why he shared it (assumedly via email) with anyone knowing that it might end up in the hands of the press.

I mean, according to reports in The Times, where his alternative view was published, Boris was reassured by a colleague that the article wouldn’t appear for years. Surely, Boris has enough experience in Westminster and in journalism to know that, should something like this leak, the press are going to jump all over it.

Was he naïve, stupid or is there more to the story than it at first might seem?

There is of course, one very clear PR lesson to this rather bizarre political story.

Email is not secure environment to share anything you don’t want in the public domain. It’s PR 101 stuff really, so I just have to assume that Boris wanted to story out there.