Grim polls reveal the devastation caused by Partygate, even though Boris Johnson appears to have escaped the imminent threat of his ouster.
According to one poll, the Conservatives now trail Labour by 32 points in London, and 11 in Red Wall.
These dire numbers highlight why Johnson is facing increasing backlash from MPs about the scandal that clearly reaches voters.
Some claim that the flow of letters requesting a no confidence vote was stopped by Christian Wakeford (Bury South MP) who defected dramatically to Labour.
David Davis, an ex-Cabinet minister at PMQs launched a full-frontal attack on Johnson. He told him, “in the name God, go!” This also backfired.
It could be temporary relief for Johnson, unless Johnson can end the plunge in the polls.
JL Partners’ survey of Channel 4 News, conducted in 45 seats in North and Midlands gained from Labour in 2019, suggests that they have made a remarkable turnaround since their previous nine-point lead.
According to a YouGov poll, Labour is 32 points more popular than the Tories in London. This raises the possibility of MPs losing their seats.
The Conservatives finished just 16 points behind the capital at the general election.
The latest Savanta ComRes tracker found that Johnson’s personal ratings dropped another 10 points, to minus 37.
Today’s poll found the Tories trailing Labour by 11 points in key Red Wall seats. This is a drastic turnaround to the 9-point lead they held at the 2019 election.
This is why Boris Johnson, who was involved in the Partygate scandal and has faced a rising backlash from his fellow MPs.
Conservatives instantly focused their anger on the Red Wall MP’s betrayal, who is a tiny majority in Bury South with just 402 votes.
Senior Tory leaders claimed, however that Davis’s attack might have helped the premier.
MailOnline was told by a Cabinet minister that the “tribal nature” of politics and David’s “professional grumpiness” seem to have cool the mood.
Allies of Johnson called Mr. Davis a “loner”, and another MP frustrated with Mr Johnson’s performance claimed that Mr. Johnson appeared to be returning to his “normal self”.
An ex-minister stated that if you want to inform the boss about his resignation, you should do so privately. He’s not popular. He’s very picky.
In the midst of what was being called a “Pork Pie plot” by 2019, intake Tory politicians Mr Wakeford had already stated that he had submitted a letter de no confidence to Mr Johnson.
He was wearing a Union Jack mask as he sat on the Opposition benches.
In a note to the premier, Wakeford called Mr Johnson’s leadership “disgraceful” and expressed his belief that Labour will do more to address the cost of living crisis.
Sir Keir starmer ordered Mr Johnson in Parliament to allow any further defectors into the fold, declaring that they are ‘welcome’ and the Tories had demonstrated their incapability of running the country.
He said that the Labour Party and Conservative Party have changed. ‘He and anyone else who wants to build a new Britain built on decency, security … is welcomed in my Labour Party.’
Johnson was flanked on the front bench by Rishi and Priti Sunak. Johnson replied: “As for Bury South,” the Conservative Party won Bury South under Prime Minister Tony Blair on an agenda that included uniting, levelling up, and delivering for Bury South. Bury South will be won again by us.
Johnson insists he is not going to resign and urges people to “wait for the outcome” of the investigation by Sue Gray, senior civil servant.
To quell mutiny the government has increased ‘Operation Red Meat’ with crowd-pleasing policy.
This afternoon, Mr Johnson disclosed that Covid rules have been rewritten and the home-based work order has been canceled.
He was wearing a mask with a union flag on his face while he was sitting today at the Labour benches.
He also said that masks would no longer be mandatory starting next week – a decision which was cheered enthusiastically by Tory MPs.
Johnson claimed that, in an effort to erase the Partygate blunders, he said: “This government has the big things right.”
No10 was relieved to see that Mr Wakeford did not follow any other Red Wallers out the door.
Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison, one of the ‘Pork Pie’ rebels, laughed off ‘bulls***’ suggestions she could switch to Labour or the Lib Dems.
In the Commons. Mr Davis said to Mr Johnson that his defense of him had been a long one. This included reminding them of the “successes” of Brexit.
He stated that he expected his leaders to take responsibility for their actions. He did exactly the opposite. Therefore, I’ll remind him about a famous quote that may have been familiar: Leopold Amery to Neville Chamberlain.
You have spent too much time here to accomplish any good that you might have done. Go in the name of God.
Amid gasps in the chamber, a seemingly shocked Mr Johnson replied: ‘I must say to him, I don’t know what he is talking about.
‘What I can tell him – I don’t know what quotation he is alluding to – what I can tell him is and I think have told this House repeatedly, I take full responsibility for everything done in this Government and throughout the pandemic.’
Wakeford said in his resignation letter: “My decision is more about your leadership than the shameful behavior you’ve displayed over the past weeks.
“But, I believe that not all politicians are equal and believe in politics’ power to work for the good of humanity. Keir Sternmer is the same.
He has demonstrated integrity through the leadership of his party on important issues to me, including the critical challenge of antisemitism.
Sir Keir claimed that Wakeford has always been a ‘first-rate’ representative.
Christian stated that policies by the Conservative government were doing little to assist the Bury South residents and in fact are making their struggles every day worse.
The defection is Quentin Davies’s first in 15 years from Labour to Tories.