How quickly Boris Johnson’s triumph has given way to doubt and instability | Martin Kettle

Covid, Cummings and confused messaging are fast taking the shine off the prime minister’s election victories

Treachery, the crafty French diplomat Talleyrand argued, is largely a matter of dates. Boris Johnson, who is no less of a political cynic than Talleyrand, would be wise to remember that this may also be true of triumph. It is only a fortnight since voters flocked to Johnson’s Conservatives in England’s local elections. At that moment, Johnson commanded the political scene, apparently untouchable, to the despair of his opponents.

Martin Kettle is a Guardian columnist

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