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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Aletha Adu

Boris Johnson's 12 worst moments that show stunning collapse of his popularity

Boris Johnson has spent the day on his political knees begging Tory MPs to back his dwindling premiership as he faces a vote of no confidence.

Under the Prime Minister's leadership, the Conservatives have tanked in the polls for the last six months, giving Labour a small and steady lead.

Exactly a year ago, on June 6, the Conservatives averaged 45% with on Labour 33%, and the Lib Dems on 7%.

Today, Labour’s vote share stands at 40% on June 6, ahead of the Tories on 32%, with the Liberal Democrats on 12%, according to national polls.

Mr Johnson has long been likened to marmite, with his entire career littered with gaffes and slurs.

But it seems the public and many Tory MPs have had enough of the PM's spread - hoping he will step down to stop them facing embarrassment when working in their constituencies.

Here are 12 stunning moments that dramatically savaged the PM's authority - all within the last six months....

Boris Johnson losing his place in his CBI speech before talking about the delights of Peppa Pig World to baffled business leaders (SKY)

Tory sleaze

Owen Paterson quit as a Tory MP after a row over his conduct led to a humiliating government U-turn.

The Conservative was found to have broken lobbying rules and was facing suspension - until Tory MPs blocked it by calling for an overhaul of the MPs' standards watchdog instead.

Mr Paterson was paid as a consultant for clinical diagnostics company Randox from 2015 and to meat distributer Lynn's Country Foods from 2016.

He was found to have broken rules of MPs conduct by failing to declare his interest as a paid consultant to Lynn's Country Foods in four emails to officials at the Food Standards Agency.

He was also blasted for using his parliamentary office on 26 occasions for business meetings with his clients.

They initially had the backing of No 10, but Downing Street reversed its decision after a furious backlash.

Former Tory MP Owen Paterson (PA)

Peppa Pig

Boris Johnson rambled about Peppa Pig in front of world renowned business leaders at the CBI conference last November.

The Prime Minister lost his place for around 20 seconds, jokingly quoting Lenin, and impersonating a car saying :”Broom broom, brah brah!”

North East businessman Richard Swart, who is global sales and quality director at County Durham manufacturer Berger Group and chairman of the Advanced Manufacturing Forum, told the Mirror at the time the speech was "catastrophic".

A Tory rebel has since told the Mirror they submitted a letter of no confidence after that embarrassing speech.

Speaking as Westminster watchers waited for Sue Gray’s final report into lockdown breaking parties, the MP said: “I knew it was over at that point. He looked like he had seriously lost it.”

Partygate

The first story of what has become “partygate” broke on November 30, with the Daily Mirror reporting allegations that Downing Street staff held a number of lockdown-busting parties when London was under lockdown restrictions.

The story initially made few waves and the Conservatives comfortably won the Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election two days later.

Tory attempts to dampen the story’s cut through with a number law and order announcements as part of “crime week” ended with the party defending itself from allegations of law breaking.

Allegra Stratton quit her Downing Street press secretary role after a video leaked to ITV news confirmed the Mirror’s reports of lockdown parties. She was joking and practicing excuses she would make to the press.

Ms Stratton resigned a day later and Mr Johnson apologised at Prime Minister’s Questions, saying he was “furious” about the video and appointed Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to investigate the allegations.

It was the first of many apologies the PM would make in relation to Partygate.

North Shropshire by-election

Senior Tories put Mr Johnson on notice that his leadership is on the line after the party’s crushing defeat in the North Shropshire by-election.

The Prime Minister suffered another body blow to his authority as the Liberal Democrats overturned a massive Conservative majority to take the seat by almost 6,000 votes.

The result sent shock waves through Westminster after weeks of damaging headlines about Tory “sleaze” and reports of partying in No 10 in breach of Covid restrictions last year.

Mr Johnson said he took “personal responsibility” for what he described as a “very disappointing” result” for the party.

The PM acknowledged he needed to “fix” issues like the reported No 10 parties and the controversy around the funding of the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat, which have fuelled anger inside Parliament and beyond.

Fraud

Tory minister Lord Agnew dramatically quit Mr Johnson's government over its "lamentable track record" on Covid loans fraud.

He told the Lords that the Government's actions had been "desperately inadequate" with oversight of lenders "nothing less than woeful".

Lord Agnew surprised peers by outlining his unhappiness with working between the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Treasury.

“Schoolboy errors were made, for example allowing over 1,000 companies to receive bounce back loans that were not even trading when Covid struck," he said in the Lords.

Starmer slur

After once again apologising to the House, the PM was criticised for accusing Labour leader Keir Starmer of failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile while director of public prosecutions.

It is a false claim featured in a number of right-wing conspiracy theories.

Mr Johnson later “clarified” his remarks, saying he was referring to the Labour leader's responsibility as head of the CPS rather than any decision he had personally made.

Labour leader Keir Starmer (PA)

Most loyal aide resigns

The Starmer slur prompted fury not just from opposition benches and the public but from his own supporters.

The PM's long time aide Munira Mirza quit in outrage at the PM's “inappropriate and partisan reference to a horrendous case of child sex abuse”.

Even Chancellor Rishi Sunak made a public rebuke telling a press conference he would not have made those remarks.

Ms Mirza’s resignation was followed by news that three top aides would quit Downing Street, including chief of staff Dan Rosenfield, director of communications Jack Doyle, and private secretary Mr Reynolds.

Homes for Ukraine

The Government's handling of the Homes for Ukraine scheme was widely deemed shambolic.

The PM initially stopped short of welcoming all Ukrainian refugees without an immediate family connection to the UK.

Then the Government made an embarrassing U-turn insisting the number of refugees from the crisis-torn nation would dramatically increase soon.

Charities have continued to call for visa rights to be waived for those fleeing Ukraine, with some criticising the schemes as “not fit for purpose”.

Last week, the PM admitted the UK could have reacted faster in helping Ukrainian refugees.

Rwanda

Boris Johnson engaged in a bitter and almost pointless row with the Church of England who had criticised his Rwanda policy.

The Archbishop of Canterbury slammed the policy in his Easter sermon claiming the bid to send some asylum seekers 4,000 miles to Rwanda raised "serious ethical questions".

Justin Welby even said the policy cannot “stand the judgment of God”.

Fighting back, the PM claimed they were “less vociferous” in their condemnation of Vladimir Putin ’s invasion of Ukraine than they were on the migration policy.

But senior Tory MPs have since questioned the logic behind the plans.

In his letter of no confidence, former Tory minister Jesse Norman said the plans were "unnecessary and provocative".

Justin Welby, the Archbishop Of Canterbury delivers his Easter Sermon (Getty Images)

Cost of living

Boris Johnson has faced heavy criticism for failing to get a grip on the cost of living crisis.

Weeks after the Chancellor unveiled his disastrous Spring Statement which did nothing to help the poorest Brits, the PM revealed a cost of living committee which had the sole aim of creating solutions to help struggling people.

This committee was announced at the end of April. Experts had warned of plunging living standards from the end of last year.

A Tory MP told the Mirror their constituents had noted that the PM's failure to handle the crisis will turn people away from their party for years to come.

Local elections

The PM faced mounting pressure after the Tories lost almost 400 seats in the local elections.

The loss of Wandsworth and Westminster in London to Labour, after decades of Tory control, apparently persuaded more MPs to submit letters of no-confidence in the Prime Minister.

Urging Tory MPs to stay united, Education Minister Nadhim Zahawi said on the rounds: "People don’t like to vote for split parties, for teams that are divided."

But the party divisions continued to grow over the next few weeks.

Platinum Jubilee boos

Royalists booed Boris Johnson as he arrived for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee service at St Paul's Cathedral.

The PM walked awkwardly up the steps of the cathedral holding his wife Carrie's hands as the royalists continued to jeer, amongst a few cheers.

Labour leader Mr Starmer said he was not surprised Mr Johnson was booed as the public are "fed up" with the Tory Government.

Johnson loyalists claimed it is not surprising for MPs to be booed at public ceremonies, but insist it does not prove they are not electable.

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