Peter Jones

Boris wouldn’t be the first to be brought down by a party

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issue 22 January 2022

Whatever the result of Sue Gray’s report on ‘gatherings’ in Downing Street, there is a political lesson to be learned: any excuse will do, even a party, when people are out to get you, as the Roman historian Tacitus (ad 56–c.ad 120) well knew.

ad 69: the emperor Vitellius was lying seriously ill when he noticed a mansion with lights ablaze throughout the night.

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