Asked if the London mayor was a statesman or a twat, he replied: "A bit more of the latter".
In a review in the Spectator of a book about the early 19th century statesman Lord Castlereagh, Levin wrote: "The real mystery, in fact, is not why Castlereagh cut his throat, but why Mr Selwyn Lloyd has not".
Scholar, soldier, statesman, arch-rebel, philosopher, poet, all crowded so glitteringly into so few early years.
Every would-be statesman with something to say has a tame spin doctor on hand, selling a particular story from a particular sweet stall.
He left a legacy of affection and respect for what he was as a man, and what he achieved as a statesman".
Politicians past and present praised the memory of Ireland's former taoiseach Garret FitzGerald as a statesman and peacemaker.
David Cameron said: "He always struck me as someone who was a statesman, as well as a politician, someone who was in politics for all the right reasons and someone who made a huge contribution to the peace process and bringing reconciliation for all that had happened in the past".
Indeed, if English Euroscepticism has an elder statesman - and most prominent Eurosceptics are men — it is surely the 74 year-old Conservative MP (Sir) Bill Cash.
In one of his last books, a biography of the statesman Edvard Beneš (1997), he analysed the life of another Czech who was forced into exile and established a European reputation, but finally returned home to Prague.
Adams has tried to exploit his role in bringing about the IRA ceasefire and the subsequent historic compromises with unionism in the north of Ireland and to portray himself as an international peacemaker and statesman.
They are a great source of fibre, which would no doubt be of great importance to the well-executed bowel movements of the frequent flying statesman.
