Boris Johnson is the Prince John of the corona-era – desperate to rule a country he is destroying

Picture, if you will, a conference of barons. They angrily complain of the arrogance of a ruler in London, of being taxed, criminalised, and abused by the authorities. They demand open justice, standards of proof, and something in return for the money that has been taken from them.

Eight hundred years ago, such landowning lords rode horses, quaffed ale and planned on parchment as they marched their armies south to threaten the king.

Today, it’s Andy Burnham on a Zoom call with Steve Rotheram, as Manchester and Liverpool get together to gang up on London.

It’s not clear where our modern power-brokers stand on quaffing or equestrianism, but their problem with Boris Johnson is precisely the same as that of their medieval predecessors: they’re ruled by a prat.