Johnson is taking pages out of the Trump playbook – but this is a gamble that may not pay off

Analysis: Goading critics, breaking conventions to ram through policies... with an election on its way, this behaviour may only get worse, writes Chris Stevenson

Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his admiration for Boris Johnson (Parliament Live/AP)

For political satirists and journalists alike, the similarities between Boris Johnson and Donald Trump are stacking up.

For satirists, the hair, manner, constant prevarication and bluster were quick things to jump on. For journalists, Johnson’s repeated dipping into the Trump playbook to push through a no-deal Brexit is now becoming another characteristic to watch.

The proroguing of parliament is such a tactic. It is the aim to use parliamentary mechanisms to his advantage when there is opposition. Trump has tried similar moves, threatening court when someone suggests something he doesn’t like and resorting to executive orders to try to push through money for projects like the border wall with Mexico.

Johnson’s performance in parliament on Wednesday was similar to Trump’s in recent weeks – thanks to an inability to answer questions in a straight manner, playing fast and loose with the truth, and giving a sense of being under pressure.

In the White House on Wednesday, Trump was accused of having doctored a map of the path of Hurricane Dorian with marker pen to include Alabama, rather than admit his previous tweet saying the state was at risk was wrong.

And while Johnson may not lash out at critics via Twitter with the frequency of Trump, during Prime Minister’s Questions this week he did seek to goad opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The problem for the prime minister is that critics in parliament are far more vocal than Trump has faced in congress. Only one sitting Republican, Representative Justin Amash of Michigan has come out to express his lack of confidence in Trump – before quitting the party to become independent.

Conservative rebels have had little such fear – Phillip Lee this week crossed the floor to join the Lib Dems right in front of Johnson. He is one of a number to have expressed “no confidence” in their party leader. And how Trump would like to strip some Republicans of their voting rights over disloyalty!

The vocal opposition from within Johnson’s own parliamentary benches has raised the pressure on him. While Trump has sought to ignore and lash out at critics, the prime minister has been forced to punish his – and has done so in a way the president would appreciate.

Trump is not worried, though, and is happy to play up the relationship between the pair. “He’s in there fighting and he knows how to win,” the president said from the White House. “Boris knows how to win. Don’t worry about him, he’s going to be OK.”

Both men have also put their stock in voters – increasingly small pools at that. Trump cares only for himself and appealing to his supporter base, which is just big enough to return him to the White House if they come out in numbers similar to 2016. For Johnson, the catchment group is proportionally larger – 52 per cent of the country voted to leave the EU that same year – but unlike Trump, he has the Brexit Party trying to hoover up his supporters. But with an election likely, Johnson’s aping of Trump may only get worse.

Johnson may make noises about appealing to floating voters – but in reality he is trying to win over the Leave contingent, and is alienating much of the rest of the country as he does so, as like Trump. Both leaders are happy to gamble, but it may not pay off.