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Bloomberg
Moments after Boris Johnson told Parliament he planned to break a key election pledge and raise taxes on British workers, a WhatsApp message popped up on the phones of Conservative MPs: “PM in the tearoom now.â€
Johnson’s charm is by far his strongest political asset and the prime minister put it to work, mug in hand, to calm his Tory troops in the wood-paneled room reserved for members behind the House of Commons chamber. It was September 7, and the start of a turbulent few months for Johnson — and the country.
Since the outbreak of coronavirus, various Tory factions have been alarmed by his decisions that have run counter to traditional Conservative values. He curbed civil liberties via lockdowns, paid billions for workers to go on furlough, and now he’s increasing the tax burden to fund health and social care.
With fuel shortages, spiking electricity prices and fears of a cost of living crisis buffeting a government that has often been in disarray over Covid, political logic would dictate the prime minister should be under siege. Yet Johnson goes to the party’s annual conference starting from Sunday in Manchester, northern England, in a seemingly unassailable position.
As Tory strategists plan for a national election in 2024 or earlier, his position is bolstered by opposition Labour Party in-fighting and leader Keir Starmer’s struggle to show he’s a credible prime minister-in-waiting. Johnson has also parked Tory spending tanks on Labour’s lawn, tapping into a weariness with cuts and austerity — imposed by past Conservative governments — since 2010.
The electoral math is also in the Conservative Party’s favour, even as Labour has narrowed the gap in recent opinion polls. Due to Britain’s electoral system and the party’s lost ground in Scotland, Labour likely needs to be ahead by a significant margin to regain power.
Then there is Johnson, whose Teflon qualities and charm have allowed him to ride out personal scandals and professional missteps throughout his career.