As for our public services, it is all very well to talk of thousands more nurses. But the reality — obscured by the mendacious drivel coming from Labour during the campaign — is that the NHS is creaking badly under the pressure of an ageing population.
Mr Johnson's instinct may well be to keep throwing more money at it, with NHS spending projected to rise by £20bn a year until 2024.
But at some point, a brave — or foolhardy — politician will have to consider serious reform, perhaps even emulating the insurance systems that work so well in countries such as France. Overshadowing all this is the issue of austerity. Mr Johnson was right to recognise that the public have tired of cuts.
There is only so far you can push people before their patience cracks, and many of us are horrified to see so many homeless on the streets.