Boris Johnson's Sweet Taste Of Victory

Boris Johnson just achieved his dream. Let’s see how long it lasts.

- Robert Hutton

Boris Johnson’s installation as British prime minister caps a career as famous for its setbacks as its successes. Sacked as a reporter for the Times of London in 1988 for inventing a quote, he became a star at its rival, the Telegraph, where his stories were often more entertaining than accurate. On entering politics, he was fired as a Conservative Party spokesman for lying about an affair, then was twice elected mayor of London, from which position he managed to take credit for some of his predecessor’s ideas.

In his one job at the national level, foreign secretary to then-Prime Minister Theresa May, Johnson was sidelined from Brexit negotiations, the biggest foreign policy question facing the nation. Now he’s back in national politics, this time at the top.

Johnson’s latest comeback is a reflection of two things: his megawatt charisma and the Tories’ complete desperation. His gift lies not in oratory but in an ability to make people laugh, with him and at him. It was long assumed that this lack of apparent seriousness would stop Johnson from ascending to this position. Conservatives, after all, see theirs as the party of sensible, careful government. Pursuit of Brexit, by far the single most important issue for party members, has turned that on its head. Having tried for three years with sensible, careful May, they’ve become contemptuous of warnings from economists and big businesses and instead put their faith in someone who promises that everything is straightforward if only they have a little confidence.