Boris Johnson’s advocates are taking steps to restore his popularity as Rishi Sunak’s approval ratings continue to decline. It remains to be seen whether Johnson or Sunak is more popular. Additionally, it would be informative to know how the Conservatives and the Labours are faring in the polls.
Struggle of the Conservative Party and Advocacy for Boris Johnson’s Return amid Ongoing Scandals
The Conservative Party appears to be struggling in the polls during Rishi Sunak’s time as Prime Minister. However, despite ongoing scandals, Boris Johnson’s supporters, including the former Prime Minister, advocate for his return to the political scene. Johnson’s resignation from his post as British Prime Minister last summer was preceded by a string of controversies, which many found surprising given his previous attempts to establish himself as a prominent figure in UK history, following in the footsteps of Winston Churchill.
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Conservative Party MPs accompanying Boris Johnson
So it was no surprise when Johnson cut short his Caribbean vacation last October and headed to London. At that time, his successor, Liz Truss, was forced to resign after only 45 days in office. Johnson hoped that Tory MPs, alerted by the Truss episode, would return him to Downing Street. At the time, Johnson managed to get many Conservative Party MPs to side with him immediately. However, in the end, despite this enthusiasm, it became clear that Johnson probably wanted to avoid losing to Rishi Sunak, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, who, as expected, became the Prime Minister’s former Chancellor of the Exchequer.
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The declining popularity of conservatives under Rishi Sunak
But now Johnson’s chances can get better. During his time as Prime Minister, Sunak managed to contain some of the economic turmoil created by his predecessor and resolved Northern Ireland’s conflict with the EU by compromise. At the same time, Sunak could have impressed the voters. Under Sunak’s leadership, the expected growth in the polls for the Conservatives, who had already fallen due to Johnson’s antics, did not materialize. In last week’s local elections in the UK, the Conservatives fared so severely that the opposition Labor party is increasingly likely to win the next general election in early 2025.
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CDO formation by Boris Johnson’s supporters
Johnson’s core supporters came together at the beginning of the year to form the Conservative Democratic Organization (CDO). Their stated aim was: “We Campaign to strengthen party democracy by ensuring the Conservative Party is representative of the membership and fairly represents their views.” Many of Boris Johnson’s supporters blame Sunak for his downfall, which is one reason they are pursuing legal action against him. Furthermore, Sunak became the Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister through a short procedure, rather than being elected by the party base.
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British opposition to Boris Johnson’s return to power
According to the existing statements, Johnson’s return to power is far from expected. Because while the majority of conservative party activists, despite all the Boris Johnson scandals, still firmly adhere to him and support him, in polls, the majority of British people are against the return of this scandalous prime minister. And Johnson may even lose his post as an MP shortly. A bipartisan parliamentary committee is investigating whether Johnson knowingly lied to MPs as prime minister after repeatedly saying there had been no illegal quarantine parties at his official Downing Street residence.
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Boris Johnson’s illogical answers regarding Partygate
In March, Boris Johnson faced questioning from committee members regarding a matter, but his responses were deemed unconvincing. If the committee finds that Johnson deliberately misled lawmakers, they could suggest his suspension, and MPs would vote on it. If suspended for ten days or more, constituents could call for a by-election, which may lead to Johnson’s defeat. Nonetheless, it remains unclear whether Conservative MPs will allow for the removal of their former Prime Minister from Parliament in this manner.
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Negative Perception of Rishi Sunak among British Citizens
The results of the latest survey by YouGov show that almost 60% of British citizens have an unfavourable opinion of the country’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The YouGov poll, conducted between May 14 and 15, surveyed 2,120 British adults and found that six per cent of respondents had a favourable opinion of the Tory leader. According to the report, 25 per cent of those who participated in the survey said their attitude towards Sunak was somewhat favourable, 59 per cent said they had a negative view of Sunak’s prime ministership, and among those, 34 per cent. They emphasized that their opinion of Sunak’s prime ministership was very unfavourable and unfavourable.
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Labour outperformed the Conservatives.
According to a recent survey, the British Labour opposition party leader, Starmer, received higher approval ratings than Sunak. The poll indicated that 35% viewed Starmer favourably, while 51% held an unfavourable opinion. This data is consistent with another recent poll, which demonstrated growing support for the Labour Party. Statista‘s analysis this month also reveals that 43% of Britons would vote for Labour if parliamentary elections were conducted tomorrow, compared to only 26% for the Conservatives. It is worth noting that the British Conservative Party emerged as the leading party in the 2010 British elections.
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The continuation of Boris Johnson scandals after the prime minister’s term
Despite his ten-month-old resignation, Boris Johnson’s involvement in scandals continues to make headlines. Recently, it was revealed that the legal fees for his defence before the parliamentary committee amounted to £245,000, which taxpayers will pay. The Cabinet Office arranged for top lawyers to assist Johnson at government expense, but the Treasury was not consulted, as experts suggest it should have been. Consequently, the opposition is calling for Johnson to cover his legal costs. Johnson’s return to politics cannot be entirely ruled out despite these events. However, Sunak’s Conservative Party has faced their most significant defeat since the 1990s.