People are turning a blind eye for now

IT’S not surprising that Boris Johnson has denied making the outrageous comment that he would rather see bodies pile up in their thousands than order another lockdown.

The alleged comment was said to have been witnesses by an unnamed source of the Daily Mail and isn’t corroborated by a recording. With nothing to back them up, it’s impossible to conclude that the Prime Minister uttered the offensive words.

Mr Johnson gave more credibility to the accusation that he invited donors to pay for the refurbishment of his Downing Street living accommodation.

He didn’t deny that had happened, and said anything that needed to be declared would be.

But while we are left to speculate about the truth or otherwise of these two elusive matters, there are other more tangible areas of concern that haven’t received the attention they deserve.

The awarding of pandemic-related contracts to cronies of Tory ministers, the failure to sack the Home Secretary after she was found guilty of breaking the ministerial code and the help given by cabinet minister Robert Jenrick to the businessman and Tory donor Richard Desmond are all unacceptable situations that have not had the consequences they should have.

During his trip to Wales yesterday, Mr Johnson suggested that people are not interested in allegations of sleaze and are more preoccupied by the vaccination roll-out.

There’s likely to be an element of wishful thinking about that, of course, but there is certainly no more than conflicting polling evidence to check the Prime Minister’s assertion against.

So far, he’s largely had a charmed premiership.

While Sir Keir Starmer has sometimes made Mr Johnson’s responses at Prime Minister’s Questions appear woefully inadequate, this doesn’t appear to have caused the Conservatives significant harm.

There is much to be said for the argument that, for the moment at least, many are turning a blind eye to allegations that, if true, amount to corruption. After more than a year of lockdowns, people want to get vaccinated and see the restrictions eased. That’s where their focus is and that’s what’s happening.

But Mr Johnson would be foolish to assume that this will necessarily always be the public mood.

The time for him to worry will be if the sense of optimism wears thin.