Javid: Don’t blame PM... poll defeat was whole party’s fault

After bruising by-election result, Health Secretary insists Boris is still a winner

DEFEAT in the North Shropshire by-election was the fault of ‘the Conservative Party collectively’, Sajid Javid said yesterday.

Tory critics were swift to blame Boris Johnson for the loss of the previously safe seat to the Liberal democrats last week after one of the biggest by-election swings in history.

The Health Secretary admitted it was a ‘disappointing result’ but suggested the party as a whole bore responsibility. He also praised the Prime Minister’s ability to ‘win election after election’, adding: ‘I think Boris Johnson is the best person to take us through the challenges the country faces.’

The Lib dems overturned a massive Tory majority to take the North Shropshire seat by almost 6,000 votes on Thursday.

The by-election came after owen Paterson resigned after being found to have breached lobbying rules following an attempt by the Tories to prevent him serving a 30-day suspension. The result sent shock waves through Westminster after weeks of damaging headlines about Tory ‘sleaze’ and reports of parties in No10 breaching Covid restrictions last year.

Mr Javid told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show yesterday: ‘I think we got a number of things wrong. How we handled the owen Paterson affair was wrong and I’ve said that before.

‘I think that was hugely damaging because he was their MP. And a lot of his constituents wouldn’t have liked what has happened. And I think some of the recent news around whether there were gatherings in No10 or not... or even Christmas parties. The fact that it’s been investigated hasn’t helped.

‘So it’s a disappointing result. Let’s not sugar-coat it and pretend there’s some good lining in it.’