Inside Politics: Boris Johnson shakes off holiday hangover as Iran crisis mounts

He may not know it, but Boris Johnson has quite a bit in common with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Both grew up dreaming of glory on a global stage – Johnson claimed he wanted to be “world king”, while Ibrahimovic pronounced himself “King Zlatan”. Born winners, perhaps. But people can tire quickly of megalomaniacs. Anti-Zlatan vandals have toppled a giant gold statue of the narcissistic Swedish star by sawing off the ankles. Our PM will have to make sure he isn’t cut down to size in his prime. As Johnson returns home to face his first foreign policy crisis, he has much of Westminster snapping at his heels – angry at his failure to cut short his hubristic 12-day holiday in the Caribbean. I’m Adam Forrest, and welcome to The Independent’s daily Inside Politics briefing.

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick on what to look out for today:

With the Commons still on its Christmas break until Tuesday, all eyes – well, those not watching for the outbreak of Gulf War 3 – will be on Labour’s headquarters in London. There, the ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) will meet to decide the timetable for electing Jeremy Corbyn’s successor, who can have a vote and how much they should pay to do so. The decisions, particularly the “cut-off” point for new members to sign up to take part, could be crucial in settling the race, with one-time favourite Rebecca Long Bailey yet to declare.

AFTER THE PARTY: Like absolutely millions of us, Johnson will have that sickening back-to-work feeling this morning. Like absolutely none of us, he’s been on living it up on the private island of Mustique for almost two weeks – accused by Labour’s Emily Thornberry of “sunning himself [and] drinking vodka martinis” as disaster unfolded in the Middle East. The PM has finally gone to the bother of releasing a statement saying “we will not lament” the death of Iran’s top general Qasem Soleimani, but also calling for “de-escalation” from all sides. As he shakes off the hangover and gets his head into military and diplomatic options today, a senior commander in Iran’s Quds Force has told The Times British soldiers could be “collateral damage” in attacks on US targets. Joy of joys. Despite his bromance with Donald Trump, one senior government figure said Johnson’s stance is “pretty dove-ish”. We’ll see how long he can walk the tightrope of inaction.

LONG OR THE SHORT OF IT: Labour people might be too busy with internal wrangling to bother with international conflict. As the NEC meets today to decide on a “cut-off” date for new members, some fear a stitch-up by the Corbynistas who dominate the committee to prevent a deluge of moderates from signing to vote. Current rules would give potential new recruits two more weeks to join – but the deadline could be made much shorter. Little is certain. A narrow window of time could benefit Sir Keir Starmer, since polling suggests he has most support from the current pro-EU membership. One Labour figure told The Telegraph the Corbyn flame-passers are divided over whether to back Rebecca Long Bailey or Ian Lavery, the party’s bolshie chairman. “If they go for Ian they may well need a longer leadership contest so people get to know who he is. They are all over the place.”

LEAVE IT OUT: Starmer is desperate not too come across as too millionaire-ish, or centrist dad-like. Attempting to keep Corbyn-backers onside, he released a video lionising his past as a radical young lawyer who gave free legal advice to poll tax protesters and the families of striking dock workers. He has also, rather helpfully, been given a point of contrast with rival candidate Jess Phillips – who told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show she could still campaign to re-join the EU after Brexit. Appearing on the same programme Starmer said the nation had to “move on” from Leave versus Remain arguments. Long Bailey, who has yet to say whether she’s standing, has been weirdly quiet. It might be in her interests to keep quiet a little bit longer. She is entitled to attend today’s NEC meeting, but one Labour figure said Long Bailey would be “daft” to turn up and viewed as helping “fix” the contest.

STEP RIGHT UP, FOLKS: Hurry, hurry, hurry – British politics’ leading carnival barker Nigel Farage has a show to flog. The Brexit Party’s ringmaster is planning to throw a £100,000 “celebration” party in Parliament Square with fireworks, bands and speakers to mark our expected exit from the EU on 31 January. A comedian called Dominic Frisby (no, haven’t heard of him either) will perform alongside all those many other talented “Brexit artists”. Ann Widdecombe does have panto experience if they get desperate. Farage promises his three-ring circus will be an “upbeat, optimistic, genuine celebration with no direct political edge whatsoever”. Chairman of the spiv’s party Richard Tice said it would be very, very nice and very, very cheap. “If there is a ticket price we want it to be extraordinarily affordable / almost zero.”

BONFIRE OF THE VANITY PROJECT: BBC bosses are set to dispense some gentle advice to the broadcaster’s top political journalists over their Twitter usage. One executive told The Sunday Times the “race to be first” on the popular hell-site had led to some bad decisions. “Too many people within the BBC use it as their own vanity project to get their own views out.” No 10, meanwhile, wants Whitehall to fully embrace social media to boast about Brexit’s amazing “benefits”. Officials are looking for filmmakers and telly producers to sell their souls and come up with viral content that “engages people”. Speaking of viral content, or content that genuinely feels like a nasty viral infection, you must catch Alan Johnson’s appearance on ITV’s terrible talent show The Masked Singer last night. The former Labour minister dressed up as snake-headed Egyptian pharaoh and shouted his way through The Bangles’ Walk Like an Egyptian.

“Given the leading role he has played in actions that have led to the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians and western personnel, we will not lament his death.”

Boris Johnson makes his first statement about the killing of Qasem Soleimani.

“Nothing sums up the soft authoritarianism of New Labour like Jonathan Ross reflexively saluting at the sight of Alan Johnson.”

The New Statesman’s Patrick Maguire thinks AJ’s appearance on The Masked Singer summed up a bygone era…

“Imagine having to explain to Ken Jeong who Alan Johnson is.”

…while his colleague Sarah Manavis salutes The Hangover star for pretending to remember the ex-home secretary.

Jess Phillips, The Independent: Labour should always be pro-Europe – but our job now is to hold Boris Johnson to account and call out his lies

John Rentoul, The Independent: What is going on between Boris Johnson and the Westminster press pack?

Susan E. Rice, The New York Times: The dire consequences of Trump’s Soleimani decision

Ben Rhodes, The Atlantic: An extraordinarily dangerous moment