LONDON 

A politician’s troubles are a humorist’s treasures. The scandal-prone British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given cartoonists and meme-makers unimaginable riches for years, and with his hold on power now in jeopardy, their fortunes are only growing.

Johnson and his staff are facing civil and criminal investigations into social gatherings they hosted last year while the rest of the U.K. was hunkering down under coronavirus restrictions. The episode raises serious questions about Johnson’s leadership and political accountability.

But what gives it extra bite — and gives humorists much to chew on — are the often ludicrous details: political aides hauling suitcases of wine into the prime minister’s residence, or drunkenly breaking a swing set belonging to Johnson’s toddler son.

One recent newspaper cartoon captured the collision of tragedy and farce by depicting Johnson as the betrayed Roman ruler Julius Caesar, stabbed in the back with corkscrews.