I thought the shambling, incoherent bluster was an act but it appears not to be
Oh, he turns it on when he wants to, Also. Did you read Jeremy Vine's experience of being a speaker at a corporate event where Johnson (before he was London Mayor) was also booked to speak, no doubt for a fat fee?
He lurched in late, literally moments before he was due on, in apparent panic and seemingly unaware of who he was due to address. No speech prepared. Demanded pen and paper, scribbled a few incomprehensible lines with only the words SHEEP and SHARK readable, then his name was called and he bumbled onstage, forgetting to take the paper.
Vine watched in agony, expecting him to fall flat on his face - but no. Old de Pfeffel had the crowd in stitches despite openly failing to know what the organisation was called, umming and erring constantly, telling incomprehensible anecdotes (featuring SHEEP and a SHARK), and ended with a joke to which he forgot the punchline. Everyone lapping it up and in ecstasies with good old Boris.
But then, over a year later, Vine was compering another event and asked who else was speaking. 'Boris Johnson'. You can guess the rest....it was an exact replay of the first scenario, right down to the panicky late arrival, no script, SHEEP and SHARK, ummm, errrrr, forgotten punchline.....
This man is deeply calculating. Trouble is, events have overtaken him this time and he's discovering that his SHEEP and SHARK act can't get him out of it. So I reckon we're experiencing genuine panic from the great entertainer.