Flawed hero may rebuild and ride back into Downing Street

BORIS Johnson’s exit from Downing Street in six weeks will not be a forlorn ride into the sunset. Rather, it will herald a pause before the prizefighter bids to return – all guns blazing – amid a new sunrise.

Unlike his predecessors, Boris has no intention of surrendering to defeat.

Like his herowinston Churchill, he will embrace hiswildernessyears to earn millions of pounds by writing and making public speeches, rebuilding his political reputation and waiting for the opportunity to march back into Downing Street.

Feisty, resilient and ambitious, Boris has been a fighter and a survivor from his earliest childhood. Yet his success over the past 40 years has been plagued by controversy – good and bad. Amid his highs was an epic society wedding to his first wife, Allegra, his heroic status amongtory MPS during the 1980s as an anti-eu journalist in Brussels, his record-breaking editorship of the Spectator magazine and his unpredicted victory in the Brexit campaign. Even those achievements were surpassed by winning a majority of 80 in the 2019 general election.

Foolishly, he thought his successful stint as London’s mayor prepared him to be prime minister. Unfortunately, Carrie, Covid and his own character caused the unprecedented collapse of his government. Underlying his humiliation is that he’s a loner, insensitive to criticism. Despairing of incompetence and dishonesty, his Cabinet colleagues finally acted. His fate depends on whether he can learn the lessons from his catastrophic exit.

First, he needs a team of experienced supporters to tell him unpalatable truths.

Then, he needs to understand how to impose his will on Whitehall’s incompetent civil servants. Third, he needs to discipline himself – to read official papers and carefully present his plans.

“Hasta la vista” was his upbeat farewell but the serious challenge will be to control his worst characteristics. If he succeeds,

Boris the Invincible will be back on stage.