Brian Monteith: Why Boris’s bounce could be temporary

Only delivering a clean Brexit will give Prime Minister Boris Johnson the extra impetus he needs, writes Brian Monteith

The inevitable has happened. The Tories’ blonde bombshell, now more lithe with a spring in his step, more effervescent with the pop and fizz of a victor’s champagne, has brought his boundless positivity to the British premiership.

The new PM has taken the field with a leap that even Bob Beamon would envy. In Manchester he announced how hundreds of billions of borrowed money would be thrown at Northern cities like the tickertape confetti that greeted the return of Apollo 11 astronauts to New York. He did not cancel HS2 but instead pumped up the volume by promising it would definitely go on to Leeds and probably beyond. Likewise we can expect more largesse when he visits Glasgow, as if it’s a lack of government funding that holds Scotland’s economy back rather than the SNP’S perverse policy priorities and an addiction to higher taxes.

The result is there for all to see – an almighty bounce across a range of polls that gives great heart to Conservative supporters, be they Leavers or Remainers, and provides hope to a wilting public that the saga of Brexit may at last be settled. And yet some words of caution are required.

The Prime Minister’s joyous enthusiasm has made the cup runneth over for far too many commentators who have imbibed his chinup, can-do, best of British mentality. Some Andrews Liver Salts are needed, and when not available a cold bath is in order. The last time I looked the UK was still inside the European Union and its leaders are not yet talking. Despite all the shrill outrage at a far right take-over of government from easily offended opponents the Conservative Cabinet continues to have a significant

remainer majority of 64-36 per cent. Only two of its members, Priti Patel and Theresa Villiers voted consistently against May’s attempts at surrender. Thus a classic British fudge remains more likely than trading on WTO terms.

After the litany of broken promises and open acceptance of scaremongering it is no surprise that even Labour voters can be heard to say the Johnson is a breath of fresh air compared to May’s halitosis-like pessimism. Just as many said May should be given a chance, so too all but the most bitter ideologues are hoping Johnson might just surprise even himself and escape from the EU straitjacket, undo the chains and swim to the surface of the River Thames he chose to jump in.

Thus we have four weekend polls that all give the Conservatives a bounce of anything between 3 to 10 per cent, mainly at the expense of the Brexit Party. This was to be expected and exactly mirrors what happened when Theresa May gained ten points on becoming Prime Minister. But is that it? Will there be more gains for Johnson? He certainly needs them, for languishing at 30 per cent after a bounce is not enough for the Conservatives to win a general election. Johnson has to go further, he must be touching 40 per cent to be assured of victory and to do that he needs to deliver on his promise and take the country out of the European Union and on time.

That means living beyond the jurisdiction of the European Courts of Justice; deciding for ourselves where our troops are deployed in foreign adventures; choosing who might reap the harvest from fishing in our waters; deciding who can enter our country, what taxes and at what rates of tax we might levy; what regulations even our domestic