Britain | Bagehot

What did you expect from Boris Johnson?

The prime minister, in his own way, is Britain’s most honest politician

BORIS JOHNSON lies often and easily. It is the hallmark of his career. He was fired from his first job, at the Times, for fabricating a quote. As a condition of becoming editor of the Spectator he promised not to stand as an MP, and then promptly did just that. As a shadow minister, he was fired by Michael Howard for lying about an affair. (He later divorced after a few more.) While mayor of London, he said numerous times that he would not stand in the 2015 election, only to turn up as a candidate in Uxbridge.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “What did you expect?”

Beware the bossy state

From the January 15th 2022 edition

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