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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
John Crace

Rish! never said he would stop the boats – it was all that lectern’s doing

Rishi Sunak in front of a lectern with 'stop the boats' slogan on it
The prime minister couldn’t say which airline would be prepared to trash its reputation by laying on deportation flights for refugees. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

It’s a Christmas miracle. Thank the Lord. Just over a week ago at the Covid inquiry, Rishi Sunak was struck down with near total amnesia. He really couldn’t remember a thing. Who he was, what he was doing. Not even if he had even been present. It could have been a doppelganger throughout the pandemic.

On Tuesday lunchtime, though, there were clear signs of improvement. Not total, mind. That will take time. But certainly glimpses of a partial recovery. At one point he could even locate two warships in the Red Sea. Though mostly he chose to answer the questions he wished he had been asked. The ones for which he had prepared. Spontaneity is still well beyond him. Small steps and all that.

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