British prime minister Boris Johnson and his agenda are now lame ducks

Since becoming leader of the Conservative Party in May 2019, the dissolute Bo Jo has struggled to transform himself into a statesman. – AP

IN Shakespeare’s cycle of plays on Henry IV and Henry V, the dissolute Prince Hal eventually transforms himself into a heroic patriot king. Since becoming leader of the Conservative Party in May 2019, the dissolute Bo Jo – a man who was sacked from his first job in journalism for making up a quote and who only recently acknowledged how many children he has (six) – has struggled to transform himself into a statesman only to fail at the last moment.

Boris Johnson put on smart suits but his hair was always in a mess. He delivered grave speeches but couldn’t resist making off-colour jokes (for example, describing the drive to increase the supply of ventilators as “operation last gasp”). It is only fitting, therefore, that his political career may be terminated by “partygate.”