I think you're as guilty as the columnist to try and read one's mind. I don't think anyone as well-educated and well-read as BoJo is in it only "for the here and now"; most politicians fighting for leadership positions do have a sense of purpose and historical role, as well as the competitive streak. It is much more profitable, in the short term, to just hang around in the shadows, brokering deals and pocketing kickbacks, than to lose sleep and health campaigning and shaking hands. People who are born from money can be narcissists, sociopaths or well-intentioned buffoons, but don't usually burn the place down for the hell of it.