Chris Mason: 'Box set Boris Johnson' is pure political theatre

Boris Johnson is walking, talking governmental theatre. It has ever been his large governmental knack: compelling to some, infuriating to others.

A header generating, file filling, attraction grabbing outsized personality. He attracts loyalty from some, opprobrium from others.

And, yet again, helium is back.

The premier curate earlier past was ne'er apt to dissolve into the ether, mildly slice retired and disappear. And helium hasn't. This instrumentality to the fray isn't voluntary oregon adjacent invited from his perspective, relitigating arsenic it does his character, his judgment, his believability.

Is what we volition perceive from him apt to alteration your caput astir Mr Johnson? That volition yet beryllium your call. But my hunch is for astir radical beyond Westminster - and astir radical present excessively - it won't.

So wherefore does it matter? It matters due to the fact that it has the imaginable to decorativeness him politically. But, arsenic my workfellow Helen Catt puts it here: "there are a batch of ifs successful this process."

Just 1 of them is proving to a transverse enactment committee of 7 MPs, that includes 4 Conservatives, that helium intentionally misled parliament.

Proving intent, connected the ground of what we person seen truthful acold astatine least, seems difficult. Arguing helium was "reckless" successful his grounds to the Commons is an arguably much subjective telephone and truthful perchance a much plausible lawsuit astir which the committee could unite.

Mr Johnson volition vehemently contradict both.

But it is imaginable that MPs successful general, and Conservative MPs successful particular, whitethorn 1 time person to determine if they privation to effort to decorativeness disconnected Mr Johnson, oregon not.

What, then, are the wider governmental consequences of each of this?

There's a bully crushed wherefore Rishi Sunak picked Tuesday greeting to beryllium down for a long interrogation with BBC Breakfast. The accidental to scrutinise a premier curate astatine magnitude is simply a journalistic accidental fewer quality programmes would crook down.

But leaders prime their moments cautiously earlier subjecting themselves to these encounters. And Mr Sunak and his squad consciousness helium has had a bully fewer weeks:

A woody with the EU implicit Brexit. A woody with France implicit migrants successful tiny boats. A woody with America and Australia implicit defence.

A premier minister, arsenic they would spot it, who is superior and business-like, gets his caput down and gets worldly done.

Who connected world could they beryllium drafting a opposition with? And amended accidental each this worldly earlier the feline earlier past is backmost connected signifier again.

In my occupation I get little glimpses into however our premier ministers operate: their quirks and traits arsenic good arsenic their beliefs and policies. When it comes to character, the opposition betwixt Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak could hardly beryllium much stark.

The instinctive flamboyance of Mr Johnson, the quotable camera magnet, the colourful backstage life, the ne'er ending questions astir his integrity. The instinctive caution of Mr Sunak, scrupulously cautious connected camera, a disciplined, teetotal antheral of faith.

And Mr Sunak, aboriginal polling grounds suggests, whitethorn beryllium dilatory resuscitating his party's image. He, immoderate polls indicate, is much fashionable than his party, but some are, precise steadily, ticking up, albeit inactive miles down Labour.

Enter next, thumping onto the table, this scrapbook of a chaotic Conservative past. The state reminded of the catalyst that brought a landslide winning premier curate crashing down to world - and the backbenches - successful conscionable a fistful of years.

Conservative MPs, witnessing these contrasting characters, reminded again of what they did, bringing Mr Johnson down.

A archetypal sanction presumption person who fired up the enactment and assembled an improbable conjugation taking successful Workington, Wokingham and West Bromwich. Did they marque a unspeakable mistake getting escaped of him?

Some deliberation they did. Others deliberation each this proves it was the close call.

One curate tells maine helium reckons Mr Johnson's supporters are down to a "Taliban of ten, possibly twenty. He nary longer commands the Conservative plains similar helium did."

But helium has been seemingly down and retired before, lone to negociate a revival. However improbable a instrumentality to the leadership, this week is simply a reminder to his enactment and the country, that Mr Johnson has ne'er rather gone away.

And helium is not apt to conscionable yet. The latest of galore episodes successful the Boris Johnson container acceptable play is starting.