The man who Got Brexit Done now seems unable to persuade us not to go to the pub

He hoped to be remembered as the Prime Minister who Got Brexit Done, but coronavirus has overtaken EU trade talks as the true test of his premiership.

“Brexit?” asked a seemingly incredulous Boris Johnson at Wednesday’s daily press conference: “It’s not a subject that’s being regularly discussed, I can tell you, in Downing Street at the moment.”

Despite the mutual cooperation across the Dispatch Box earlier that day during PMQS, No10 is acutely aware that it is only a matter of time before his rivals start to make political capital out of his handling of the crisis.

While resisting the urge to engage in partisan point scoring, Jeremy Corbyn’s uncharacteristically competent Commons appearance won plaudits precisely because it tapped into the public’s growing confusion over the Government’s response.

The reaction has generally been positive towards billions being thrown at what the PM himself described as a “national emergency unprecedented for a government in peacetime”, along with his insistence on being led by the science. Flanked by Prof Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, and Sir Patrick Vallance, Chief Scientific Adviser, his 5pm public appearances provided welcome transparency.

Yet Mr Johnson’s inherent aversion to authoritarian rule has had the unfortunate side effect of leaving an increasingly anxious electorate with more questions than answers as they try to work out just how to execute his series of non-orders.

Hand washing is one thing, but the instruction to stay indoors has not exactly been universally obeyed.

Throughout, Mr Johnson has stuck to his libertarian principles, refusing to kowtow to demands for London to be locked down, stockpiling to be banned and pubgoers to be arrested.

Insisting Britain remains “a land of liberty” compared to, say, Communist China, the PM has attempted to avoid draconian measures that threaten the very values he was elected to uphold.

His approach has been typically carrot rather than stick, even urging the public to “please be reasonable”.

Yet with hoarding threatening to bring in rationing, and many ignoring social distancing advice, he appears under pressure to employ the “bossy boots” nanny statism he despises.

No wonder, then, that the Prime Minister has appeared so conflicted at the lectern. Having accused the Left of only being interested in “coercion and control” in 2006, the man who once defied his own ideology by investing in water cannon after the 2011 riots, has made no secret of his distrust of those seeking to erode civil liberties.

Once declaring himself to be anti banning “anything’ and writing often about the absurdities of “elf and safety”, Mr Johnson has made a career out of advancing liberal arguments with illiberal language. In days gone by he would have no doubt agreed with his father Stanley in insisting punters should still be able to go to the pub in the midst of a global pandemic.

Last night, he was again asked if he would bring in stricter sanctions for those flouting the official guidance. Refusing to rule out tougher measures, his tone was more imploring than imperious. “Please please please follow the advice,” he begged. “We can turn the tide in the next 12 weeks but it depends on collective, resolute action.”

Although he said the response had been “patchy”, particularly in the capital where the disease was making the “fastest progress”, he insisted there was still “no prospect” of stopping public transport.

“We’re going to want people to avoid gatherings where they can transmit the disease – we are absolutely emphatic about that. If it becomes necessary to do more to ensure that then we will do that.”

Seemingly conscious of his personal approval rating, the PM added: “I’m often accused of being unnecessarily boosterish about things but I genuinely think we will turn the tide and get through it. We do need a very, very energetic, concerted effort to follow the medical advice. Everybody knows what it is – it will make a huge difference if we all do it together.”

A positive message, designed to unite a divided Britain, but if the weekend does not herald significant behavioural change then more action is inevitably going to be needed.

Now jockeying for position against unfavourable comparisons with how Tony Blair or even Gordon Brown might have handled Covid-19, there is a sense that Mr Johnson may have to crack the whip – not only to save the lives of thousands but for his own political survival.