In the population, in his own party, in the parliamentary group and now also in the cabinet. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s support is crumbling everywhere. The belief that he can tackle the country’s real problems has waned.
In view of the growing opposition in his own ranks, it is becoming increasingly doubtful whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson will actually continue to run government affairs for the next decade.
Giving up is not an option. Not for the man who modeled himself on wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Churchill became famous for his forceful slogans of perseverance, which united the British people in the fight against Nazi Germany. But today Britain is not at war. The thesis spread by Boris Johnson’s supporters that in the midst of the Ukraine war the country must stand behind its prime minister does not convince anyone.
Johnson has backed Ukraine with exemplary speed and clarity, supporting them with arms deliveries, harsh rhetoric and other means. The population follows him in it. But for them completely different problems are in the foreground: high inflation of 8 percent, the approaching recession, the rising tax burden, the erosion of the National Health Service, high housing costs, rising poverty, the increasing tensions between the nations of the UK.
Johnson’s strengths are no longer sufficient
The majority of citizens have lost hope that the country will solve these problems with this prime minister. Support in Johnson’s Conservative Party, his faction in the House of Commons and now also in the Cabinet is crumbling like a sandcastle in the evening breeze. According to the latest opinion polls, 70 percent of citizens want the prime minister to resign. The conservative press, loyal to the party, has written off Johnson. A month ago, 42 percent of the conservative faction voted for him to be voted out of office, and since then the number of his opponents has continued to rise. And now, with Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Minister of Health Sajid Javid, heavyweights in Johnson’s cabinet have also renounced their loyalty to the dazzling power politician for the first time.
Giving up is not an option for a man like Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, who learned from an early age at the elite schools of Eton and Oxford that unwavering belief in yourself is a strength that can take you far. So far, this life plan has worked amazingly well. Despite mediocre performance and never-ending affairs and scandals, Johnson made his way to the highest government office as a member of parliament and local politician. He’s been clinging to it ever since. But for the first time there are increasing signs that even superhuman self-confidence, brilliant rhetoric and an enormous will to power will not be enough to carry out Johnson’s provocatively announced plan two weeks ago to continue to reside at Downing Street for the next decade.
A politician for crises, but not for the tough day-to-day business
It is still unclear how the Conservative Party will get rid of its leader. Johnson’s opponents are preparing another internal party plot. That could get rid of him in the next few weeks. Whether it will succeed is an open question. Nevertheless, it is hardly conceivable that the party and the people will rally behind their prime minister again. The disillusionment is too great. Conservative MPs’ fear of suffering a debacle in the next general election with Johnson at the helm has become a certainty for many. The 2024 election is still far away, but why hold on to the party leader if there is no belief in improvement? Johnson himself assured last week that he would certainly not change his personality. And again this week he was hit by a scandal that had been hushed up in an amateurish way.
In 2019, the Conservative Party had chosen Johnson as their party leader and thus as Prime Minister in order to get them out of the self-blockade in the Brexit dispute. In the crisis at that time, his unique personality was a success factor. With tricks, determination and charisma, Johnson pushed through a hard break with the EU and then won the next general election with an excellent result.
But the same qualities were the prime minister’s undoing in the tough day-to-day business of politics: in a highly developed democracy like Britain’s, one cannot permanently cheat one’s way through government business with loose slogans, airy promises, cheap excuses, contradictions and untruths. The problems are too big and too complex. It takes a serious examination of the factual issues, perseverance and a political compass that points the way. All of that is missing from Boris Johnson.