The Observer view on how the left can thwart Johnson and Trump | Observer editorial

Rightwing populism is a threat to democracy on both sides of the Atlantic, but ‘politics as usual’ won’t stop it

Much has been made in recent days of the supposed similarities between Boris Johnson and Donald Trump. On a personal level, it is said, both men are boastful braggarts, frequently untruthful and skilled at self-promotion, which is pretty much all they care about. In terms of policy, both are rightwing populists wedded to a recklessly destructive form of regressive, pseudo-nostalgic nationalism.

Both Johnson and Trump inspire strong feelings, especially in their detractors. Max Hastings, who was Johnson’s boss at the Daily Telegraph, recently described him as a weak, cowardly character more akin to Alan Partridge than to his hero, Winston Churchill. “Almost the only people who think Johnson a nice guy are those who do not know him,” Hastings wrote.

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