Boris is the true heir to Blair

Boris Johnson’s political recovery in the last couple of months has been nothing short of remarkable. Not that he was ever down and out, of course, but having got a Brexit deal that both Farage and Starmer backed, followed by the success of the vaccine rollout, the Prime Minister once again looks unassailable. 

As for the Labour leader, things look much less rosy. But what hasn’t been said in the criticism of Starmer is that what has mostly caused the leader of the opposition’s dip is not his own incompetence but the Prime Minister’s recent good form. This has made me realise something about Boris: he bears a lot of comparison with one former prime minister many wouldn’t immediately reach for – Tony Blair. And in the years ahead, Boris’ premiership could soon come to more closely resemble the architect of New Labour.

Why? Because both men possess the same basic, underlying political strategy: to ignore large sections of their party’s base in pursuit of the swing vote of the moment.