Great Britain: harsh electoral backsliding stumbles weak Boris Johnson

Bad days for Boris Johnson, already very weak. Now his Conservative party has just lost one of its strongholds in central England in the by-elections.

Boris Johnson global bad news: The Conservative Party, led by the Prime Minister, suffered a severe electoral defeat on Thursday in by-elections in North Shropshire, a rural constituency in the West Midlands, held by the Conservatives for nearly two centuries.

According to official results, Helen Morgan, candidate Liberal Democratic Party, won by a margin of nearly 6,000 votes against the conservative candidate. The by-pass vote takes place in a rural district in central England, but is considered a key Conservative interest.

Voters have explained to Boris Johnson that “The party’s over,” Morgan ironed after announcing his win, referring to a scandal involving the Prime Minister, after allegedly violating sanitation rules at an event on Downing Street amid quarantine for the pandemic.

Then he doubled his attack: “His government, run by lies and arrogance, will be held to account.”

In fact, this vote has practically referendum value for Britain’s weak head of government, in the midst of an epidemic outbreak, due to several allegations of corruption but also violations of current sanitation regulations.

Recent scandalous episode revealed by “Daily Mirror”: held a Christmas party last year, in defiance of tightening restrictions that took effect on the same day.

But aside from that, the same constituency is competing in the midst of another scandal. Ruled since 1997 by Owen Paterson, a “Brexiter” close to the prime minister, this politician had to resign from the House of Commons in November, after being sanctioned by the parliamentary commission responsible for ethics for his participation in business that did not fit his function.

After the victory, Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat candidate, spoke to Boris Johnson:
After the victory, Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat candidate, spoke to Boris Johnson: “Your government, run by lies and arrogance, must be held accountable.”

The cause is untenable, but Boris Johnson is still trying to twist the hands of elected conservatives by forcing a vote in Parliament to suspend sanctions against Paterson and, incidentally, trying to weaken the powers of the ethics commission.

Business doing poorly in UK eyes, health situation forcing new adjustments and closures, context adding to disinterest among voters. The voter turnout in this constituency turned out to be only 46.3% (or 38,093 voters based on the final tally). A far cry from the 62.9% achieved during the December 2019 general election.

Last Tuesday, Boris Johnson was challenged by nearly 100 Conservative lawmakers who voted against his “plan B,” which aims to counter the spread of the deadly Omicron variant in the country.

The humiliation suffered by the “Tories” in North Shropshire accelerated the loss of the prime minister’s authority among his ranks and led to internal competition for a successor. It takes 54 credentials from Tory MPs to start this leadership race. Is Graham Brady, chairman of the mighty 1922 Committee, the internal party club, which was supposed to unite them.

Tabloids this morning Daily Telegraph, supporting the suspicion that Brady had started moving some cards, enough to trip the ailing Prime Minister even more..

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Boris Johnson suffered an electoral defeat in the conservative camp and could raise significant questions about his leadership

Matt Thompson

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