Boris Johnson’s music hall style is cracking apart now and Keir Starmer has a certain swagger

Call it the Quantity Theory of Inanity. It would be wrong to say that Boris Johnson doesn’t still enjoy prime minister’s questions. Like any sociopathic narcissist he cannot resist being the centre of attention. The noise, the lights, the cameras. It’s one of the few ways Boris can tell he’s still alive.

It’s just that the cracks are beginning to show. Even a few months ago, the cheers from the Tory backbenchers that greeted Johnson’s appearances in the Commons sounded almost sincere. Now they seem forced. Pavlovian responses from a bygone era. The Fool is now the fool, a fading music hall act reduced to babbling nonsense. A hollow man, bereft of redeeming qualities.

John Crace and Zoe Williams will be live on stage in London at a Guardian Live event on 13 December. Join the conversation online by booking tickets here.

A Farewell to Calm by John Crace (Guardian Faber, £9.99). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

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