It was clear from the start that Boris Johnson is unfit to lead the United Kingdom. Exiting the world’s largest free trade area aka the European Union to pursue free trade aka Brexit was, is and remains a fairy-tale. Just recently, he sold the trade deal with India as a great achievement although both Germany as well as tiny Belgium have more trade with India than the UK despite the fact that they are EU countries.
Time and again, “Teflon Boris” could get away with his fantasies. Then came the “Party Gate”. Boris Johnson changed the story about what had happened several times. The general public had to comply with a relatively strict lockdown while garden parties were held at Downing Street Number 10. Yesterday, Boris Johnson said on Sky News that “nobody told me” that the garden party during lockdown was “against the rules”. Boris claimed that he had been at that working event for just 25 minutes and then went back to work. Journalist Beth Rigby grilled the prime minister and said that 40 people were in the garden, food and drink was laid out on tables, alcohol was being served and Boris Johnson claimed that all that was a working event. Beth Rigby: “That is just ludicrous, isn’t it? You are just taking the mickey out of the British people by suggesting that. You know how silly that sounds, don’t you?”
Today, in the House of Commons, the Tory heavyweight David Davis told Boris that it is time to go, quoting the words of Leo Amery to Neville Chamberlain in 1940: “In the name of God, go.”
Also today, the Tory MP Christian Wakeford announced that he defected from the Conservatives to Labour. Furthermore, Boris Johnson is facing a no-confidence vote within the Tory Party. According to the Evening Standard, some 20 MPs were preparing to submit letters nicknamed “Pork Pie Plot”.
Furthermore, the prime minister has been accused by former adviser Dominic Cummings that he was warned about the lockdown party being against COVID rules.
Recent UK polls have shown that the Conservatives have fallen behind Labour. London local elections are due to take place on May 5, 2022. A recent YouGov Westminster poll shows Labour at 55%, the Conservatives at 23%, the LibDems at 9% and the Greens at 7%. Not so long ago, Boris Johnson was the mayor of London.
In short, Boris Johnson’s days as prime minister seem to be numbered. Since the next UK general election is only scheduled for May 2, 2024, it’s now up to the Tories to decide his fate.
P.S. David Davis is a hard-core Brexiter. As for Christian Wakeford, he left the Conservatives. Therefore, he cannot vote in the no-confidence vote against PM Boris Johnson. 15% of Tory MPs (54 MPs) are needed to trigger a vote of no confidence. Subsequently, over 50% of all Tory MPs (a minimum of 181 MPs) have to express their no confidence to topple the PM. If they fail, the PM can’t be challenged during the following 12 months.
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Article added on January 19, 2022 at 14:58 Swiss time. Update (P.S.) added at 19:28.
Boris Johnson (official photo as Foreign Secretary). Photo credit: www.gov.uk
