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But news of a “bring your own booze” party held in the Downing Street garden at the height of the UK’s first coronavirus lockdown forced the Prime Minister to apologize this week and admit he attended the event.
Johnson and the government have largely stuck to their line that further comment on the parties should be withheld until an investigation is completed by Sue Gray, a senior civil servant who has been tasked with producing a report on exactly what happened.
While the report itself cannot determine if any laws were broken, a detailed factual breakdown of what happened and why could pile further pressure on Johnson to resign. But the scope of the investigation could be narrow enough to avoid a smoking gun — and might not even be published in full — meaning Johnson may be able to ride out the scandal regardless of what the report says, even if that stokes further fury from his party and the electorate.
Despite his bad poll ratings, public anger at Johnson and his government, and the growing sense that the Prime Minister has become “so toxic he could drag us down with him,” as one senior Conservative put it, it’s likely that for the time being, his loudest critics within the Conservative Party are going to have to suck it up and continue supporting a man they resent.
A government minister told CNN that “he was an electoral asset in 2019 because he personified Brexit. But if it transpires he is no longer an electoral asset, they [Conservative lawmakers] might decide to get rid of him.”
In just a few months, there will be a perfect opportunity for a check on Johnson’s popularity when local elections are held across England, Scotland and Wales on May 5.
It is broadly accepted across the party that removing Johnson before this date would be extremely dangerous, as no one could be certain what the consequence would actually be.
“If the Conservatives are serious about removing Johnson, they must also be serious about replacing him with someone who can…
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Source : cnn
