Trust the British to turn a tale of political sleaze into a story about class and the price of expensive furnishings. But the recent shenanigans in the ruling Conservative Party reveal a lot about the ruling elite in British politics: As in the U.S., it now routinely aspires to the wealth, luxury and lifestyle of the global superrich.
The gulf between the top 5% and the rest has never looked so wide, nor been so apparent in everything from vacation choices to home decorations. For the leader of a country, that can be hard to accept.
Hence the lack of real surprise at Boris Johnson¡¯s latest spot of bother. He¡¯s been accused of underhand ways of funding an up-do of No. 10 Downing Street and a lack of transparency over what happened when a party donor was asked to help with an expensive overrun in his redecorating bill. The prime minister believes the British public is unfussed by this ¡°cash for curtains¡± scandal, but class is dangerous territory in the U.K. ¡ª even for someone as gifted as Johnson at bridging the divide.
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