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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Kevin Maguire

'Boris Johnson's a nailed-on loser - voters see through his lies and want a fresh start'

Lying Partygater Boris Johnson's crushing double defeat in two mini-referendums is a seismic vote for change.

Wakefield and Tiverton, Yorkshire and Devon, red wall and blue wall, North and South issued a Prime Minister and Conservative Party protecting the rogue their marching orders.

The Labour-Liberal Democrat pincer movement, a country sickened by Johnson and his Conservative enablers tactically voting to defeat the Tories, could produce a new Government in a general election.

And the political earthquakes emphasise the stark choice for Tory MPs is to try to save themselves by dumping Johnson or stick with the Downing Street liability.

Because Johnson's a nailed-on loser, no longer a winner. Voters have seen through his lies, revolt over the sleaze and cry for a fresh start.

(Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Tory battlegrounds – reviving Brexit battles, Rwanda deportations, blaming Labour for rail strikes, union bashing, imperial measures, culture wars, energy rebates and he's supposedly Zelensky's mate – were resoundingly rejected as Labour retook Wakefield and the Libs won Tiverton for the first time in a century.

Quitting Tory chair Oliver Dowden's stinging resignation letter with its plea for somebody to take responsibility and business as usual is intolerable is a barely coded plea for Johnson to be toppled.

Out of the country for another eight days with G7 and Nato following Rwanda, the PM must be at risk of a Cabinet coup.

Pressure will intensify for senior Tory backbenchers on the 1922 committee to change party rules to allow a confidence vote on Johnson within 12 months.

Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (PA)

Had a revolt not triggered the first less than a fortnight ago, hold it on Monday and Johnson would be losing rather than narrowly surviving.

Johnson's a dead man walking, a zombie PM.

The jailed molester and tractor porn Tory MPs forced to step down aren't why that party lost Wakefield and Tiverton.

The cost of living crisis was a factor, undoubtedly.

But the three main reasons are Boris Johnson, Boris Johnson and Boris Johnson.

Keir Starmer and Ed Davey should pray that Tory MPs are stupid enough to save Johnson, Labour and the Lib Dems' best electoral asset.

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