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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Politics
Virginia Harrison

‘Hanging by a thread’: what the papers say about Johnson’s fight to stay in power

Boris Johnson David Davis
UK newspaper front pages on Thursday 20 January
UK newspaper front pages on Thursday. Composite: Various

A fiery demand by former minister David Davis for Boris Johnson to resign fills many front pages, while others hone in on the prime minister’s defiance in the face of a Conservative rebellion.

The Guardian splashes with “‘In the name of God, go’: Tory anger builds as Boris Johnson clings on”. Davis’s outrage came on the heels of Christian Wakeford, the MP for Bury South, quitting the Conservatives to join Labour. The prime minister vowed to battle on in No 10 and his supporters insisted he now had the breathing space for a fightback, with many MPs awaiting the outcome of the Sue Gray inquiry into the parties at No 10.

The Independent also leads with “In the name of God, go” writing that the prime minister faced an angry Commons as a Tory defected to Labour.

The Mirror too goes with the Davis quote. Johnson “hanging by a thread”, it writes, above the headline “In the name of God, go”.

And the Metro’s take is “In the name of God GO!” squeezed between pictures of Davis and Johnson.

The embattled PM finds support in other papers, notably the Mail. It splashes with “Boris and Carrie’s baby hit by Covid”, reporting that six-week old Romy was badly ill but is now on the mend, alongside a picture of smiling Carrie Johnson. Above that story the paper hits out at the “narcissistic rabble of Tory MPs” trying to topple the PM “who’s leading us out of Covid”. Pointing to a comment piece inside the paper, the Mail offers its twist on the Davis demand: “In the name of God, grow up!”

The Express follows a similar sentiment with its lead: “In the name of party unity, go … and back the PM!”. The paper says allies of Johnson rallied to his defence after suffering devastating blows from his own MPs.

The Times has “PM fights on as plotters pull back from the brink” as Johnson survives a defection and the Davis attack. The paper says the prime minister has been granted a reprieve by MPs plotting to oust him as concern builds that the Gray inquiry will be more critical of the prime minister than expected.

The Telegraph leads with Johnson’s defiance, “Johnson: I won’t quit if rebels force vote”. Davis is pictured as it reports the senior Tory says the PM will have to be dragged “kicking and screaming from office”.

The Sun plays with the theme of the so-called pork pie plotters, a group of the 2019 intake of Conservative MPs mobilising against him. “As our Bojo pork pie chart shows ...” it writes, underneath the headline “Battling PM crust ahead” and a shot of a pie sliced up according to the pressing issues of the day. The paper says Johnson battled a day of extraordinary drama, coming out just ahead of the plotters.

The FT splashes with “Johnson buys time after defection to Labour rallies restive Tory MPs” and reports the PM secured a “fragile” truce.

The i paper has a similar feel with “Johnson clings on to power … for now”. Conservative backbenchers do not expect an immediate vote of no confidence in Johnson, it writes, waiting until the Gray report on his conduct next week.

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