Boris Johnson broke his own lockdown rules
But he won’t be forced from office
WHEN SOMEBODY has a lucky escape do they learn from their mistake, or are they emboldened to make the next one? That was the question facing Britain on April 12th after the prime minister, along with his wife and chancellor, received a “fixed penalty notice”—a small fine—for a get-together during the covid-19 lockdowns. The answer, alas, is that Boris Johnson has form. However repentant he now is in public, in private he will be revelling in his knack for wriggling out of the tightest spots like a greased piglet. For Britain, that is not a good outcome.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Partygate, the final episode”
From the April 16th 2022 edition
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