Let me give our Great Misleader the benefit of the doubt for once. Boris Johnson says he was not responsible for the Mail on Sunday story accusing Angela Rayner of crossing and uncrossing her legs to distract him in the House of Commons. But it is striking that some people thought the Prime Minister may have planted the story, for that is what he does when he is cornered: he lashes out, creates distractions and stokes divisions.
Remember when his efforts to ram Brexit legislation through parliament were being thwarted in late 2019, and he looked likely to become one of the shortest serving prime ministers in British history? He accused his opponents of “betrayal”, “surrender” and “treachery”, of being “girly swots” and a “great big girl’s blouse”. When opposition MPs complained that his incendiary language was triggering death threats against them, he dismissed the charge as “humbug”.
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