By deposing Boris Johnson, the Conservative party has leapt into the unknown. With a Commons majority of almost 80, the Tories have thrown their leader overboard. The prime minister’s colleagues simply could not trust him – either personally or politically. The result is that the Tories are no longer led by a serial liar, shameless egotist and erratic policymaker with little judgment. Candidates to replace Mr Johnson are pledging to restore integrity to public life. Conservative MPs were clearly fed up with being lied to. It is unclear, however, whether a new Tory leader will stop the public from being deceived.
British politics has been reshaped by Brexit populism. The question is how permanent the transformation was. Mr Johnson won the 2019 election by reorienting the Tories around older workers and the retired, offering a departure from the EU as a delusionary escape from an uncertain and disorientating world. Mr Johnson turned disinformation into a historic election victory. The Brexit promises evaporated upon contact with reality. Mr Johnson pursued policies that went against his own voters’ wishes. Many leavers were incensed that immigration went up rather than down. Fiscal conservatives were dismayed that taxes were raised to their highest level since the 1950s. “Red wall” voters were unimpressed to be told the state was getting bigger, but not so large that they could get a doctor’s appointment. Levelling up remained a slogan rather than a policy.
