Boris Johnson has long been known for his refusal to take responsibility for his mistakes, preferring instead to blame others. So it is unsurprising that, when the cross-party Commons privileges committee’s report on Partygate landed the knockout punch, Johnson chose to resign as an MP with a parting shot. He believes that he is a victim of the committee’s “egregious bias,” rather than the facts that were presented to him. It is a sign of his narcissism and opportunism that he looks to profit from chaos and seeks refuge through paranoia.
Despite the fact that a handful of Tory backbenchers still support Johnson, censure from the committee has had consequences. Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams resigned their seats in protest at being left off Johnson’s resignation honors list, and more allies are likely to follow suit. As a result, Rishi Sunak risks losing a series of byelections, causing MPs to become nervous about their future within the party.
Johnson’s determination to create mischief for Sunak, whom he believes is behind his downfall, highlights the incompatibility of both men’s politics with the challenges of the pandemic. Neither was able to deal with the questions of inequality and insecurity that were posed by the crisis. Both were also embroiled in a row over Sunak’s decision to deny the official Covid-19 inquiry unredacted versions of Johnson’s WhatsApp messages and personal diaries. The prime minister’s decision to go to court over this matter has raised the obvious question of what he is trying to hide.
Johnson’s politics are fueled by narcissism and opportunism; he looks to profit from the chaos he creates and seeks refuge in paranoia. Leaving the EU has damaged Britain, but a political consensus exists about making the best of a bad deal. Johnson should learn from his setbacks rather than live in denial of what caused them. However, it is unlikely that he will. Rather, he is likely to try to ruin Sunak’s prospects through well-paid speeches and columns. Ironically, this might benefit a country desperate for unified and tolerant political leadership that the Tories cannot supply. Conservative members might be fooled, but most of the party’s MPs know Johnson to be a lazy, selfish dilettante, and they wisely do not want him back in parliament. The great majority of the electorate feels similarly.
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