Parallels don’t usually make for good history. They can overly flatter or excuse those involved, or imply a historic figure would act today as they did in the past.
Sometimes, though, politicians themselves invite comparisons with a famous predecessor. It isn’t surprising, then, that Boris Johnson has been judged against Winston Churchill, the leader Johnson has frequently invoked and whom he even wrote a book about.
Churchill served as prime minister from 1940 to 1945 and took up the office again in 1951. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has suggested that Johnson could return to the role of prime minister in a similar way.
