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Rish! never said he would stop the boats – it was all that lectern’s doing | John Crace

At the liaison committee, the PM is shocked to learn nobody else realises just how well everything is going

It’s a Christmas miracle. Thank the Lord. Just over a week ago at the Covid inquiry, Rishi Sunak was struck down with near total amnesia. He really couldn’t remember a thing. Who he was, what he was doing. Not even if he had even been present. It could have been a doppelganger throughout the pandemic.

On Tuesday lunchtime, though, there were clear signs of improvement. Not total, mind. That will take time. But certainly glimpses of a partial recovery. At one point he could even locate two warships in the Red Sea. Though mostly he chose to answer the questions he wished he had been asked. The ones for which he had prepared. Spontaneity is still well beyond him. Small steps and all that.

Depraved New World by John Crace (Guardian Faber, £16.99). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy and save 18% at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

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