Wine that puts politics in its place

In the era of vinyl, lost in one of Bruckner’s longueurs, it could be hard to tell what was stuck, the record or the composer. Sir Jim Gastropodi would make regular appearances in the Peter Simple column, conducting the Soup Hales Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance of Bruckner’s interminable symphony.

Despite Boris Johnson’s attempts to enliven it, this is the interminable election campaign. In effect, it has been going on since 2016, but the end may be in sight. Barring a 2017-scale upset (which is unlikely — though Boris has faults, he is not Theresa May mark two), he will return to No. 10 with a majority. He will also enjoy some fiscal laxity, and he may turn out to be a lucky prime minister. These are a triple crown of assets which no Tory PM has possessed for 30 years.

There will be the odd problem. The West has never been more deficient in leadership. Could Boris be the man to provide that? We still have to deal with the details of Brexit. Will the EU agree to negotiate in everyone’s interests, or will they allow themselves to be led by M. Macron’s neo-Gaullist determination to punish Britain for D-Day? There is also the small matter of the global economy. Have the crises of 2008 been resolved, or merely covered with a sticking plaster? At home, Premier Boris will face a concerted attempt from the left to claim that his government is illegitimate. Does he have the political, intellectual and moral courage to stand up to all that?

In many respects, he is an elusive character. Few politicians have been as consistent, even ruthless, in using their persona to conceal their personality. Harold Macmillan is one example, Harold Wilson another.