Boris Johnson rose on promises of a glorious future. Now all he has left is a painful present | Andy Beckett

From Brexit to ‘Boris Island’, he made a career out of vague, eye-popping plans that have all turned to dust

The future used to be Boris Johnson’s great friend. During his many years manoeuvring for the Tory leadership, he used fantastical building proposals such as the “Boris Island” airport to keep his national fame alive. During the dominant first phase of his premiership, he won over voters with huge promises about Brexit. And he persuaded a party that had been in power for a decade – usually too long – that its best days in government were still to come.

In a country that often feels weighed down by the past and gloomy about its prospects, Johnson’s relentless optimism was unusual and powerful. After believing for years that politicians could achieve little, many Britons persuaded themselves that he would be different, despite his terrible record as a minister and lack of significant achievements as mayor of London. Any democracy needs periodic infusions of belief from voters if it is not to collapse into total cynicism and apathy, and the personality cult of “Boris” provided one. To millions of voters, he was a superhero who would somehow transform the country.

Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist

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