I think a lifetime ban would be overly harsh for the offence and would lead to accusations of shutting out a political opponent. The punishment was enough to have him feel the need to resign, which shows he deemed it to be consequential. All the talk of conspiracies and witch hunts is just a coping mechanism. This is why I think it’s a good day for democracy; a politician was punished for wrong doing, meaning undemocratic behaviour won’t be rewarded. It domatter what stripe.
As for Johnson making a strong comeback, I doubt it. An MP, maybe, but PM is unlikely unless the Tories are bent on defeat. He is massively unpopular, the 2nd least popular PM of modern times, behind Truss. All the media hype of Johnson the amicable clown with a golden touch is based off an outdated view, and they can’t seem to comprehend this. Moreover, his popularity that does cling on is concentrated among the old. By the time Johnson could launch a PM bid the voter base will include the current younger, and he might have to defeat an incumbent Labour government. The younger generations show signs of not turning towards the Tories either. Besides I think Johnson is happy with a cushy journalist role where he can generate clicks by making ‘woe is me’ articles about being shafted by the current government and sniping at them. It involves less hassle and his ego gets stroked.
