Boris and the Blob: Johnson’s bogus denial is straight from the Trump playbook

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Now comes Boris Johnson’s “Trumpian” threat to sue the government for pursuing a supposed vendetta against him. Trump did actually once call Johnson “Britain’s Trump”, and now our former PM is developing a similar talent to Trump’s for generating outlandish fake news – a plot to destroy Brexiteers one by one, orchestrated by the "deep state" civil service and the media. Another set of legal minds, costing something like £300,000, were hired by the government on behalf of Johnson to advise him in his quest to prove he’s not a liar – a tall order. Johnson’s defence during Partygate was that he didn’t know what was happening; that he wasn’t there; they were all work colleagues; the gatherings were essential for work; things were hectic; the “few” in Downing Street were heroically reliving the summer of 1940 and hadn’t time for silly rules; it was just a bit of cake… that sort of thing.