Boris Johnson’s government has performed more than 40 U-turns since winning the 2019 general election. 

Even though he has a majority in the Commons with strong support, the Prime Minster was forced to give in to opposition campaigns and public outrage over the last two years.

2020

31 January Mr Johnson privately says the ‘best thing would be to ignore’ Covid-19, but is soon forced to take steps to combat the pandemic

March 12 In the face of World Health Organisation guidance, mass community testing was abandoned. It will be reinstated only in autumn

The Prime Minister has been forced by public outrage, campaigns and opposition from his own backbenchers to cave in on everything from lockdowns to sackings

Due to public outrage, campaign and opposition by his own backbenchers, the Prime Minister was forced to give in to everything from lockdowns through sackings

April 20The scheme gave leave to UK relatives to foreign-born NHS workers who had died of Covid to include cleaners, porters, and social service workers.

May 21, 2009 PM forced to end the £400 NHS surcharge for health and care workers from overseas

June 3:Removing ban from MPs who vote by proxy, if they were shielding

June 9:The plan is to reopen all elementary schools before the term ends.

June 16:After the campaign of football star Marcus Rashford, free school meals vouchers were extended for summer vacations

Students from Codsall Community High School march to the constituency office of their local MP Gavin Williamson, former Education Secretary

Students at Codsall Community Secondary School make their way to Gavin Williamson’s constituency office. He was the former Education Secretary.

June 18: After the Government concedes that it won’t work, the centralised NHS contract-tracing app is scrapped

July 2, 2009 Promise of quarantine-free ‘air bridges’ watered down with only a handful of countries exempt

July 14Face masks are now mandatory for all shops in the country, even though they have been introduced to public transportation long ago.

July 14 Chinese tech firm Huawei is banned from selling equipment to 5G network operators, despite initially being allowed by them

August 10, 2010 Ministers allowed regional contact tracing after they had resisted centralised systems

Advice against wearing face masks in schools scrapped just days before term begins

Just days before school starts, the advice to avoid wearing masks in schools was dropped

Free school meal vouchers extended to summer holidays after campaign led by football star Marcus Rashford

After the campaign of football star Marcus Rashford, free school meals vouchers were extended for summer vacations

August 15 PM insists A-level results judged by algorithm are ‘robust’ but within days it is announced that grades will be estimated by teachers instead

August 21, 2009 Extension of the eviction ban for an additional four weeks

August 25 Advice against wearing face masks in schools scrapped just days before term begins

September 7th In breach of the recent promises, 11 Badger Culls were approved

September 22 PM tells staff to work from home ‘if possible’, weeks after telling Cabinet it was ‘quite right’ that people were returning to the office

October 31 Month-long ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown announced after weeks of ministers ignoring calls from scientists for fresh restrictions

November 5, 2009Furlough extended until March

November 8, 2008 After more pressure from Rashford, free school meals were extended once again

December 19 PM cancels Christmas for millions having previously insisted it would be ‘inhuman’

2021

January 4, 2009 A day after school reopened, the National Lockdown was instituted

January 27, 2009 Shake-up of workers’ rights post-Brexit axed, days after it was said to be going ahead

March 12 Government decides to ‘call in’ controversial decision to approve a coal mine in Cumbria, having previously chosen not to intervene

April 20, 2008Ministry of Defence does not allow torture or genocide to be prosecuted for troops who serve overseas. This is in response to peer criticism

Owen Paterson who has has resigned as the MP for North Shropshire

Owen Paterson has been elected as North Shropshire’s MP. 

22 AprilCabinet Office Announces It Will Investigate Leakage of Texts Between PM and Tycoon James Dyson. This announcement comes 24 hours after No. 10 declared it unnecessary

May 25, 2009Official guidance that advised residents of North West not to leave their homes was scrapped

June 26: Mr Johnson refuses to sack Health Secretary Matt Hancock for having an affair with an aide and declares the matter ‘closed’, only to accept his resignation the next day

July 12, 2012 In an attempt to end rebellion, Tory MPs are allowed to vote freely on proposed foreign aid reductions, following initial rejection

June 13th:A reduction in foreign aid budget, despite the Conservative manifesto promising that it would remain at 0.7% of GDP

July 14PM urges action against sports stars who take the knee.

July 17, 2007France has been dropped last-minute from the destinations for returning double-jabbed travellers who can be avoided isolating

July 18, 2008 PM and Chancellor Rishi Sonak had to be isolated after they initially tried to escape quarantine by pretending to be part in a pilot-testing project.

July 21UK seeks to redraw Northern Ireland Protocol, which it has signed two years before.

July 22, 2009 Critical workers exempted from isolation as the ‘pingdemic’ takes hold, despite earlier being included

August 2, 2008 Complex ‘amber watchlist’ idea for countries with rising Covid levels scrapped

August 20 Ministers return to their original refusal to provide support for 125 Afghans, who protected the UK Embassy in Kabul.

Mr Johnson refused to sack Health Secretary Matt Hancock for having an affair with an aide

For having an affair, Mr Johnson did not fire Matt Hancock, Health Secretary.

September 8, 2008 Rise in national insurability announced against manifesto promise

September 8thTriple lock on retirements is canceled for one year breaking yet another manifesto promise

September 12, 2009Weeks after No. 10 stated it would push ahead with them, vaccine passports have been dropped for nightclubs

September 24th International lorry driver invites to come to Britain in thousands, as part of a revision of the strict immigration rules

October 26, Following outrage from social media, water companies were ordered to take more steps to prevent raw sewage from reaching rivers.

November 4, 2009The Government abandoned plans to create a new standards commission despite whipping MPs into voting to end the sleaze rules.