PM is facing collapse in ‘red wall’ amid turmoil
‘Partygate’ and cost of living will see seats fall, says poll
BORIS Johnson’s beleaguered Conservatives are on course to lose many of the seats they spectacularly won in 2019, new polling shows.
Support for the Tories has collapsed in the so-called ‘red wall’ – the constituencies that once backed Labour, but switched to the Conservatives in recent elections.
And Mr Johnson is a big part of the problem. Polls suggest that revelations that parties took place in Downing Street during lockdown, and a strong suspicion that Mr Johnson has not been entirely honest about what happened, is the main reason voters are turning against the Conservatives.
But there are other issues. Voters are also concerned about the rising cost of living, and immigration.
The polling was conducted by a company called JL Partners, and commissioned by Channel 4 News.
It found Conservatives are on course to lose West Midland seats including Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke North, Wolverhampton North East and West Bromwich West.
The party would also lose West Bromwich East, Wolverhampton South West, Birmingham Northfield and Stoke Central.
All these seats would return Labour MPs if an election was held today, the survey found. It is a similar picture in many seats across the North of England.
It is in line with recent national surveys which have consistently found the Conservative vote is down, and that voters who deserted Labour are coming back.
It seems many people are not exactly impressed with Labour leader Keir Starmer, but they do not dislike him either.
A summary by the polling company said: “Conservative 2019 voters’ primary hesitation about voting Conservative is Boris Johnson. Asked
what would make them hesitate about voting Conservative, Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party’s management of lockdown parties are the primary reason for their concern.”
But the wider Conservative brand is also suffering. Labour is seen as “more competent and capable than the Conservatives”.
And Keir Starmer is seen as “more determined, strong, inspiring and more likely to get things done than Boris Johnson”.
On Wednesday Mr Johnson rejected calls to resign as he waited for an official report into the ‘partygate’ row. The Prime Minister insisted he was “getting on with the job”, although he acknowledged there were people who “want me out of the way” for a variety of reasons.
Mr Johnson appeared at Prime Minister’s Questions with his future in the balance as Westminster awaits the release of senior official Sue Gray’s report into alleged lockdownbusting
parties in No 10 and Whitehall. The report was expected to be handed to No.10 yesterday (Wednesday) although it had not been submitted by the time Mr Johnson stood up to face MPs.
But an indication of how damaging the report could be for the Government came when Scotland Yard chief Dame Cressida Dick announced a police inquiry was being carried out, based in part on evidence obtained by the Gray investigation.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer suggested Mr Johnson had misled Parliament about Downing Street parties, something which would normally require a minister to resign.
Asked if he would now quit, the Prime Minister said: “No.”
Sir Keir said: “We now have the shameful spectacle of a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom being subject to a police investigation, unable to lead the country, incapable of doing the right thing and every
day his Cabinet fail to speak out they become more and more complicit.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said he was not aware of the police asking to interview the Prime Minister in relation to the Met inquiry, but “as a rule I’m not going to be getting into individuals who may or may not be involved”.
The stream of allegations over breaches of lockdown rules have undermined the Prime Minister.
If Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, receives 54 letters – 15% of Tory MPs – a vote on Mr Johnson’s leadership would be held.
Robert Halfon, Tory chairman of the Commons Education Committee, said Mr Johnson needs to “reset” his administration.
“I don’t need Sue Gray or the police to tell me or my constituents of Harlow that what’s gone on has been pretty awful,” he said.
“We all feel let down and disappointed.”