Boris Johnson is riding high, but will he beat the curse of the crisis? | Larry Elliott

Governments unfortunate enough to be in power when a crisis strikes tend to get the blame

• Coronavirus - latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

When John Major pulled off a shock election victory in April 1992 there was despair in the Labour party. After four defeats in a row, it seemed as if the Conservatives would be in power for ever.

Five months after being reinstalled in Downing Street, Major faced a run on the pound that culminated in Britain's departure from the European exchange rate mechanism on Black Wednesday, 16 September 1992. The economy recovered but Major's political reputation never did.