Boris Johnson was told today that his patience is running out as Labour led polls by six points. The Tories suffered a barrage in council seat loss.
YouGov’s research on the Times found that the Conservatives fell to 33% – just four points behind KeirStarmer’s party.
A Survation poll showed Labour at 41%, while Tories were 34% behind.
Meanwhile, panic has increased with the overnight loss of 3 council seats in Rotherham & Bracknell, and another 3 in Tonbridge.
A general mood of ‘despair” is prevailing over prospects of holding the North Shropshire Commons seat, which was previously solid. Senior figures told MailOnline that they would be ‘astonished’ if Lib Dems fail to win the by-election triggered when Owen Paterson resigned.
These warning signs will put pressure on the PM, whose wife Carrie just gave birth to their second child. This is to stabilize the ship after months and months of turmoil over scandalous U-turns and sleaze.
With the controversy over Johnson’s grace-and-favour apartment refurbishment reigniting and allegations of Lockdown-busting Parties in Downing Street as well as a massive Tory rebellion over Covid, Mr Johnson appears to be heading for a storm.
Today’s poll revealed that the Conservatives dropped two percentage points to 34%, despite widespread anger at Covid-busting parties.
With the controversy over Johnson’s grace-and-favour apartment refurbishment, accusations of Lockdown-busting Parties in Downing Street and an enormous Tory rebellion over Covid, Mr Johnson appears to be heading for a storm.
A senior Tory source told MailOnline that there had been a lot of ‘unexploded bombs’ for Mr Johnson up to now.
‘When he spoke to the ’22 over sleaze he notably failed to get the audience back with his normal charm and wit and jovial manner,’ they said.
‘They didn’t respond to it, which was an indication that patience was running short. Now you’ve got this week.’
The Conservative warned that the ‘polls are all going in one direction’ and it will not be a ‘comfortable Christmas’ for Mr Johnson. ‘I don’t think he is in danger this week or over Christmas, but come the end of January that is probably when he really will be in danger – if he is.’
Sajid Javid was also criticized for refusing to give interviews about his bombshell video of staff at No10 giggling and the admission that the Health Secretary made afterwards.
‘It was pretty ‘’over to you b******s at No10’’.’ the Tory said. ‘When you get a secretary of state who’s only just been re-promoted distancing himself in the way he did it is pretty brutal.’
Andrew Mitchel (ex-Cabinet Minister) warned that the mood of the Conservative Party’s is “sulphurous” and called for a grip from No10.
According to Boris, despite the fact that the history of Tory Party has been marred by such ruthlessness in the past, he stated that he was confident that Boris would get his act together.
Geoffrey Clifton Brownn, treasurer of powerful 1922 Committee of backbench MEPs, gave a thinly disguised warning today, saying that Johnson had to stabilize the ship for Christmas.
“He has to open up on many of your issues, which you mention in your opening news,” the veteran MP explained.
The group is about to leave for Christmas. If he comes back in the new year refreshed, able to differentiate between his private life and public life, and clarify all the issues and then start to do the really big issues that this country needs – restoring the NHS, dealing with carbon emissions and Cop26, how we deal with the economy, helping businesses – we can really get onto that agenda away from these other, sort of, personal issues, then I think he’s fine.
‘But if we go on having these – what I call personal issues, issues of judgment by the Prime Minister – then I think that’s a very different scenario.’
YouGov showed that three quarters of respondents believed there was a Christmas party where rules were not followed. Nearly the same percentage thought Mr Johnson had lied afterwards.
Worse, a fifth of Tory voters believe that the government’s handling of the allegations has made them less trustful.
Survation said of its research for the Daily Mirror: ‘In terms of vote share, were these types of figures seen at the next General Election a Labour lead of this size would easily make Labour the largest party in the Commons with over 300 seats, albeit short of an overall majority.’
On the by-election hopes, a senior Tory source said: ‘I would be astonished if the Lib Dems don’t win North Shropshire. This is despite it being a Leave-dominated constituency.