You're missing my point though Malc. They didn't have to lie, that's what I'm saying.
They could have come up with an acceptable version of the truth for the public and the ministers they sent out.
Requires some joined up thinking though - and I just don't think that was ever in Boris' playbook. He would rather just lie and dissemble rather than try work out a way to spin a plausible version of the truth.
Exactly. He needed a decent comms team.
As much as I despise the pair of them, if Tony Blair and Alastair Campbell had found themselves in the same situation, they would have skipped over the hurdles that have tripped Boris up. 
That I do agree with. Tony and his cronies did incalculable and permanent damage to this country on a huge scale, whereas Boris bullshitted everyone about mainly comparatively minor matters, because thats his default setting.
Tony and his cronies got away with all of it though, until the Iraq war finished his reputation.
He and his pals should have spent years behind bars for the things they did, but he became a global influencer and a squillionare instead.