Sleaze happened under John Major – and now it seems to be Boris Johnson’s turn

As in the Major years, some of the sleaze stories are far less serious than others. But they collectively build a sense of the rot having set in, writes Andrew Woodcock

Major’s premiership is now frequently encapsulated by the word ‘sleaze’ (Reuters)

There are times in the lifecycle of politics when it seems as if nothing can go right for a government, and every day seems to bring news of new and ever more bizarre scandals involving its MPs.

An administration that is on the ropes politically seems to attract bad news like sticky buds, in a manner that is very difficult for its leader to shake off.

It happened under John Major, whose premiership is now frequently encapsulated by the word “sleaze”. And it seems as though something similar may be happening with Boris Johnson now.

Major’s woes were in large part prompted by an ill-advised speech calling for the nation to go “back to basics”. Intended to foster a revival in neighbourliness and courtesy, it effectively declared open season on the moral misdemeanours of his MPs.

The apparently strait-laced PM (though he later turned out, of course, to have had an affair with Edwina Currie) was engulfed by a torrent of stories about extramarital affairs, love trysts in Chelsea shirts, cash stuffed into brown envelopes, and even a death by autoerotic asphyxiation.

Now, the Johnson administration – very different in style from Major’s – has started accumulating a similar trail of bad headlines.

The PM himself has been embroiled in revelations about the lavish redecoration of his Downing Street flat and a string of lockdown-breaching parties. He was criticised for sweeping the findings of an inquiry into Priti Patel over bullying allegations under the carpet.

Eyebrows have been raised at revelations of the use of non-dom tax status by Rishi Sunak’s wife and Sajid Javid, and there is growing concern at the massive sums spent on PPE contracts for people with Tory connections.

Following the loss of one MP, Rob Roberts, who was found to have engaged in sexual misconduct, and another, Imran Ahmad Khan, over a conviction for the sexual assault of a teenage boy, there is now the shocking allegation that a member of Johnson’s team has been caught by a female colleague watching porn on his phone in the chamber of the House of Commons.

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As in the Major years, none of the sleaze stories are directly connected, and some are far less serious than others. But as in the Major years, they collectively build a sense of the rot having set in.

In the end, general elections are decided on big economic and political issues. Major’s government was torn apart by Europe and the negative equity crisis of the early 1990s. Johnson’s administration has held firm on Europe despite the growing evidence of economic harm caused by Brexit, but is coming under pressure for its lacklustre response to the cost of living crisis.

But Major’s case was not helped by the impression of a ruling elite that had become arrogant and complacent after a long stint in power and felt it could get away with anything. And Johnson’s hopes of survival are under threat from a similar impression – that he leads a group of people who feel the rules do not apply to them.

Yours,

Andrew Woodcock

Political editor