Goldstein Discusses Boris Johnson’s Pandemic Response
Erik Goldstein, Professor of International Relations and History at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, was interviewed for a La Razón Q&A about Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s former Chief of Staff’s testimony before Parliament in London about Johnson’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the article, titled “‘Cummings no busca un cargo en el Gobierno de Johnson, pero sí influencia’” (“Cummings is not seeking a Johnson administration position, but he is seeking influence”), Goldstein discussed Johnson’s handling of the pandemic, the motivation behind Dominic Cummings’ testimony against Johnson, and how the testimony could affect Johnson’s government. While Johnson’s government has led a relatively successful vaccination campaign, he is still not entirely secure in his position. As Goldstein notes, “the testimony of Dominic Cummings during this week will add to a prime minister already troubled by a number of other, smaller, domestic scandals.”
An excerpt:
Do you think the Johnson government failed British society in managing the coronavirus pandemic?
Boris Johnson as prime minister must, ultimately, take responsibility for the actions of his government. The handling of the pandemic has seen confused communication from the government and lack of leadership. Johnson is a strong public performer, but his performances are often a way to distract from lack of substance. He has long had a reputation for not mastering subjects and not spending time to fully grasp information. While many governments have been challenged by the suddenness of the pandemic and its scale, Johnson showed a strong unwillingness to both provide leadership and come to grips with the issues.
The full article can be read on La Razón‘s website.
Erik Goldstein’s research interests include diplomacy, formulation of national diplomatic strategies, the origins and resolution of armed conflict, and negotiation. He is the author of Winning the Peace: British Diplomatic Strategy, Peace Planning, and the Paris Peace Conference, 1916-1920 (1991); Wars and Peace Treaties (1992); and The First World War’s Peace Settlements: International Relations, 1918 – 1925 (2002, Italian translation, 2004). To learn more about Erik, read his faculty profile.