While it is true that electoral success is the key to power in a democracy, winning votes and being right are not the same thing. Boris Johnson is betting heavily that his appeal in the public arena will override questions that critics have raised about his integrity. That, ultimately, is the case for a full public inquiry into the national response to the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Johnson might expect electoral exoneration, but history will remember his prevarications and misjudgments throughout the pandemic, alongside their fatal consequences. Reprieve at the polls is a powerful political argument, but it is not the only metric by which prime ministers are ultimately judged.

Source: The Guardian April 28, 2021 17:48 UTC