Tory morale was already fragile after last month’s disastrous local election results. Inflation is persistent; interest rates continue to rise; the public finances remain weak; and Labour’s poll lead is growing. Added to that, Boris Johnson is back in the headlines.
At first sight, Johnson’s renewed prominence is bad news for the government and Rishi Sunak in particular. It was clear from the former PM’s resignation statement that the Privileges Committee concluded that he had, indeed, misled parliament and that he was facing a suspension from the House of Commons of more than ten days. Johnson’s response meant the media narrative moved on, but it remains extraordinary that a former prime minister has been found by a committee – the majority of whose members are Conservative – of deliberately misleading parliament.
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