The Conservative Party’s billionaire donor announced that he might withdraw his support as the party gets embroiled in scandal and sleaze.
Phones4U founder John Caudwell handed the Tories £500,000 before the last election in 2019 but says he is deeply disappointed by the ‘mistakes and faux pas’ under Boris Johnson’s leadership.
It comes amid a shock poll which suggests Labour is eight points ahead of the Conservatives following a bruising few weeks for Boris Johnson, while Tory backbenchers are openly discussing contenders to be their next leader.
‘What really concerns me is this sleaze issue and him not standing firmly enough against what’s gone on,’ Mr Caudwell told the Observer.
“I was so disappointed to hear Owen Paterson almost defend and…trying to find an escape for Owen Paterson. [However]As a charismatic leader, I admire him. Boris is a positive person.
“I don’t think he’ll survive, and I’m even less certain he should.
John Caudwell (billionaire donor and founder of Phones4U) says he is disappointed at the’mistakes’ and ‘faux pas’ made under Boris Johnson.
“If he cleaned up his act and told MPs they can’t take money from any other source, then I think I would support him. The real question is: Is it really in his nature to do this?
I believe that whoever can govern this country well, I will vote to support. I will not vote for a Conservative-like dyed-in the-wool Conservative.
“I’ll vote for anyone I feel has the right principles to make Britain great again.” My support is not guaranteed by the Conservative party.
If current polling projections were realised, the PM would lose his seat in Uxbridge & South Ruislip, which would make him the first sitting prime minister to be ejected from Parliament.
According to the poll, Boris Johnson (pictured) would lose his seat in Uxbridge & South Ruislip, which would make him the first sitting prime minister to be ejected from Parliament
The survey, commissioned by the Sunday Times, spoke to almost 25,000 people across all constituencies over a three-week period from December 1. The survey suggested that Sir Keir Sterner would win the general election with a 26 seat majority.
It began during the Tory sleaze scandal’s height and was completed just as it became clear that illegal parties may have been held at Downing Street in December last year, while the country was still under Covid strict restrictions.
Partygate has only gotten worse in recent weeks. A photo shows the PM drinking wine in the Downing Street Garden with Carrie Johnson, his wife, and other colleagues. This was in May 2020. No.10 said it was a Work Meeting, but he insists that no rules were broken.
Surveys were conducted by Sunday Times and surveyed almost 25,000 respondents from all constituents. Over a period of three weeks, the survey suggested that Sir Keir starmer would win an election with a majority of 26 seats.
The PM suffered from a devastating backbench rebellion as well as a By-election Thumping by the Liberal Democrats North Shropshire. This seat was held nearly 200 years ago by the Tories.
Focaldata’s poll results show that the Conservatives suffered, with five other Cabinet ministers losing their seats as a consequence, Alok Sharma, Cop26 president and George Eustice the Environment Secretary.
Johnson won victory in the 2019 general elections by winning 365 seats to the Conservatives’ against Labour’s 222.
However, a poll shows that Sir Keir’s party will win 338 seats in an election tomorrow. The Tories would have 237. This is the lowest total since Michael Howard’s unsuccessful bid to lead the Conservatives against Tony Blair 2005.
That would make Labour win 40% and the Conservatives only 22% of the votes. 2019 saw the Tories winning 43.6 percent and Labour getting 32.1%.
Justin Ibbett (chief executive at Focaldata) told Sunday Times, “Boris Johnson has oversaw a seismic fall in Conservative Party support across every section of society. This is in comparison to 1997 when Blair was elected.
This survey was conducted over three weeks starting December 1. It suggested that Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour (pictured), would win general elections with a 26 seat majority.
Starmer is no longer viewed as an “in-waiting leader”.
According to the poll, Labour’s performance in this MRP Poll is due more to Conservative collapse than to a resurgent Labour.
According to data, this reversal may be due in part to old Labour heartlands that pushed Tory back into red.
The poll found that the Scottish National Party would win 48 of the 59 Scottish Parliament seats. This is a vote of confidence in the leadership of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
And despite enjoying their shock North Shropshire gain from the Conservatives this month, as well as Chesham & Amersham in June, the Lib Dems, led by Sir Ed Davey, would fail to make any inroads on the so-called blue wall, picking up 11 seats, the exact same number as in 2019.
It is believed that Labour’s win in 2019 would be due to retaking all 50 seats from the Midlands, Wales and north England.
It would also gain another 10 seats from the Tories in London, including Sir Ian Duncan Smith’s seat in Chingford & Woodford Green, and Kensington.
Labour could also win 63 seats in the suburbs, such as Reading, Milton Keynes and Northampton.
MRP (multilevel-regression and poststratification) was used to conduct the extensive survey. This statistical technique produces small-area predictions. The method may be better than standard polling.
Justin Ibbett (chief executive at Focaldata) stated: “Boris Johnson led a seismic decline in Conservative Party support across all sectors of society. Compare it to 1997, when Blair came to power.
Starmer is not a leader in-waiting.
According to the poll, Labour’s performance in the MRP Poll is due more to Conservative collapse than a resurgent Labour.