London Mayor Boris Johnson’s status as a figure of fun was confirmed to many this week as news that he had suffered a mental breakdown and gnawed off his own hand was met with mirth and adulation from the city’s population.
Johnson, forty-four, was seen by many as a ‘celebrity appointment’ when he was elected to the position last year, winning by way of the public’s adoration for his bumbling foppishness. It may be his notoriety that helps him through this period of psychiatric ill health, as parties are thrown throughout London in appreciation of the zany stunt.
The politician is yet to comment on the incident personally, though he is believed to be recovering quickly in an Essex hospital. The new stump is said to have healed nicely, leading his PA, Petronella Wyatt, to speculate that he may be able to return to his post in a matter of days.
Meanwhile, in London, parties continue long into the February night. One reveller said, “This is typical Bojo, it’s like having a combination of Hugh Grant and Winston Churchill in charge of the city’s well being and legislation.” As the dust settles and the bloodied limousine seat where the munching took place is wiped thoroughly, the nation holds its breath in anticipation of Johnson’s next big move.