His ‘world leading’ coronavirus test and trace system and ‘oven ready’ Brexit deal simply did not exist. Even so, Johnson’s nostalgic optimism hits exactly the note that chimes with the nostalgic pessimists of English nationalism. Nostalgic pessimists do not truly expect things to get better, and therefore they can rarely be disappointed by Johnson’s failures. They do not even expect the truth, especially from politicians, but they are willing to be entertained, and Mr Johnson is the nation’s crooner and stand-up comedian at the top of the bill. Voters were well aware that the Johnson
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