Boris Johnson’s conversion to the sugar tax – how much politics is personal?

British prime ministers tend not to allow their personal experience to influence their government’s policy, writes John Rentoul

The prime minister said ‘I’ve changed my mind’ on obesity (Reuters TV)

The prime minister’s brush with death has changed him after all. There was some speculation at the time that it might have made him more pro-NHS, but supporting the health service is an absolute requirement of modern politics in any case.

It turns out, however, that Boris Johnson has told ministers and advisers “I’ve changed my mind” on obesity. Having in the past opposed the sugar tax brought in by George Osborne, and mocked the nanny-state instincts of other politicians, he now says: “We need to be much more interventionist.”

He is reported by James Forsyth, the well-connected political editor of The Spectator, to be convinced that he ended up in intensive care because of his weight. As a result, he is “obsessed” with promoting cycling as a way of easing overcrowding on public transport.