Has rule-breaker Boris Johnson met his match in ‘partygate’?

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — For Boris Johnson, facts have always been flexible. The British prime minister’s career is littered with doctored quotes, tall tales, exaggerations and mistruths. When called out, he has generally offered an apologetic shrug or a guilty grin, and moved on. At least until now. Revelations that the prime minister and his staff partied while Britain was under coronavirus restrictions have provoked public outrage. Many in the Conservative Party are considering dumping their leader. Politics professor Steven Fielding says Johnson has shrugged off past crises, but now he is irrevocably tarnished. He says that even if the immediate crisis passes, Johnson is unlikely to lead the Conservatives into the next general election.