Blimey having to dig deep now.
No, this comment is on the record, and Boris Johnson is trying to get re-elected. Since he is a member in good standing of his party, the comments are open to scrutiny because of the implication that his party finds no issue with the opinions he expressed. In fact, they are so comfortable with the opinions exactly as expressed that he is Prime Minister.
I agree with FAQ's analysis of the context, but Johnson offered himself up on a plate with many of his columns.
If the remarks of Corbyn on the NI situation can be used by the Tories as ammo against him then it's perfectly fine to shone a spotlight on Johnson's comments and ponder their implications.
Lucky for the Opposition that he seemed to be able to flit from one well-paying newspaper job to another (while also engaging in affairs with several women and holding down various day jobs too - quite the Renaissance man..) and has therefore left a nice cache of opinions to mine.
Opinions like these comments on the problems of the British economy from a few years ago...
The Telegraph headline of 12 May 2013 read, Quitting the EU won't solve our problems, says Boris Johnson
...Mr Johnson says that he supports legislation backing a referendum – but warns that Britain’s problems will not be solved by simply leaving the EU as many of his Conservative colleagues apparently believe.
“If we left the EU, we would end this sterile debate, and we would have to recognise that most of our problems are not caused by “Bwussels”, but by chronic British short-termism, inadequate management, sloth, low skills, a culture of easy gratification and underinvestment in both human and physical capital and infrastructure,” the London Mayor says.
Obviously the man is a hypocrite and a political charlatan, but in amongst all the Upper Class Twittery there is sometimes a little kernel of insight.