Boris Johnson’s chance to emulate his political hero Winston Churchill and return from the wilderness has come sooner than he might have expected. Churchill spent a decade out of office between the Conservative defeat of 1929 and his recall to lead Britain through World War II in 1939, and then another six years after 1945 before being elected for a second term.
Mr Johnson may end up waiting just seven weeks. It had already been widely rumoured that the controversial former Prime Minister believed he could make a comeback, and his final speech in Downing Street appeared to hint as much with its reference to Cincinnatus, who was recalled from his farm to save ancient Rome from crisis.
But to achieve that, Mr Johnson will have to convince Conservative MPs to take another chance on a man whose career has been dogged by scandal. Even before becoming Prime Minister, he had been accused of racism and homophobia, as well as multiple affairs, and was forced to apologise to Parliament for failing to properly declare outside earnings totalling more than £50,000 on several occasions.
