Londoner’s Diary
For the first time in years there is a general election where the Johnson family have no skin in the game. Instead of campaigning for his politician sons, for example, family patriarch Stanley Johnson, pictured, will be spending the next few weeks preparing the premiere for his film In the Footsteps of Marco Polo.
You may not have heard of the documentary, which follows Johnson and his youngest son Max on a motorcycle-cum-camel ride across China. That’s because, to date, no British television channel has bought the rights to broadcast it.
The production was backed by China Central Television, an arm of the Chinese state, and commissioned when Boris Johnson was still prime minister.
As the premiere on July 3 approaches, Johnson Sr is scrabbling around for guests to make it a great party. On Thursday he spent the duration of another author’s book launch circling the room offering invites to all and sundry.
Johnson was spotted taking down the names and addresses of prominent guests with a pen and paper in the hope they might add some glamour to his own big day. The spectacle was made more surreal by the scrap of paper Johnson used. It was, in fact, an order of service from the memorial event held earlier that day for the late journalist Dame Ann Leslie at St Bride’s church, Fleet Street.
“Characteristically shameless,” said one bemused guest.
Luckily historian Daisy Dunn, whose launch Johnson chose for his recruitment drive, took his antics in good humour. Her book, The Missing Thread: A New History of the Ancient World Through the Women Who Shaped It, is out now.
Keir Eye
How much does it cost to get the Keir Starmer casual look? While all of his suits are from high-street brand Charles Tyrwhitt and cost around £350, the Labour leader is partial to a designer splurge for his weekend wardrobe.
Beady-eyed Sun hacks have spotted him wearing an innocuous-looking black zip-up jacket from French brand Sandro on the campaign trail, which actually retails at £500. Starmer is also a fan of streetwear favourite Stone Island, often sporting one of their £150 polo shirts in dressed-down mode.
Shoe-wise, he usually plumps for a pair of Adidas Gazelles (£90), or Hugo Boss trainers (about £200). Finished with high-street jeans and a £50 England hoodie, debuted in yesterday’s Evening Standard, that’s a cool £1,000 to look like a dad at the football.
Iain Dale MP?
An LBC farewell for Iain Dale, who is leaving radio to fight his home seat of Tunbridge Wells for the Tories. His first political lesson will be learning to eat his own words. Only a few days ago he remarked of the Conservatives’ election campaign: “I mean seriously. Who is in charge of this shambles?… It’s almost unfathomable how many basic errors have been made.”
