On the lower fringes of the Bayeaux tapestry there are jolly scenes of low-life characters gallivanting and generally enjoying themselves. It must have been like a letting-down hair day in former times at the CBI. Anyway, the great ladies who did the weaving no doubt intended to offer some light relief, while the main attention obviously fell on the depiction of the great events. But the low-lifes’ clowning can still raise a chuckle.
Chuckle? In Britain today, it is more a question of fou rire. The clowning has moved centre-stage. This used to be a serious country: politics, a serious vocation: Parliament, an internationally respected forum for the discussion of the most serious issues of our times. Instead, Boris Johnson has brought everything down to his level.
