Will Boris the liberal ever return?

During his time in City Hall, Boris Johnson managed to be all things to all people. He called for an amnesty for 400,000 illegal immigrants. He backed the London living wage but also managed to keep the City happy. His opponents on the left found it difficult to attack him as a result. But if his success back then was a result of his liberal tendencies and his ability to be ‘carefree’, the pandemic appears to have changed Boris’s political convictions. He could pay a big price if he fails to find his old self again.

As Prime Minister, Boris’s liberal side has barely reared its head. Of course, a big reason for this is the pandemic, which has resulted in the imposition of policies, such as lockdown, which would scarcely have seemed believable when Boris won his landslide election victory in December 2019. Dealing with Covid has required big government with a slight authoritarian bent. But when Covid finally goes away, can carefree Boris make a comeback?

The early signs are not good. This