Boris Johnson’s Darkest Hour

Boris Johnson has a popularity problem. As extraordinary a statement as that is for the man who delivered the Conservative Party its greatest majority since Margaret Thatcher, it’s irrefutably true. A new YouGov poll finds that 63 percent of the British public want the prime minister to resign. The Labour Party now has a ten-point lead over the Tories, according to a Savanta ComRes poll. Johnson has apologized to Parliament, the Queen, and the public. It has made little difference.

Johnson’s troubles began with reports that parties had been held at No. 10 Downing Street during the height of government-ordered lockdowns, between May 2020 and April 2021. At first, the government denied the allegation. But more leaks — including photographs and emails — soon collapsed that narrative. Next, Boris Johnson apologized for the impression that the parties gave to the public: that the government wasn’t taking lockdowns seriously. Still, he insisted that they had technically been within the rules. Yet the leaks kept coming. Johnson’s former aide, Dominic Cummings, accused the prime minister of lying to Parliament — a resigning offense, according to the ministerial code.

About the Author

Madeleine Kearns

Madeleine Kearns is a former staff writer at National Review.

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Boris Johnson has a popularity problem. As extraordinary a statement as that is for the man who delivered the Conservative Party its greatest majority since Margaret Thatcher, it’s irrefutably true. A new YouGov poll finds that 63 percent of the British public want the prime minister to resign. The Labour Party now has a ten-point lead over the Tories, according to a Savanta ComRes poll. Johnson has apologized to Parliament, the Queen, and the public. It has made little difference.

Johnson’s troubles began with reports that parties had been held at No. 10 Downing Street during the height of government-ordered lockdowns, between May 2020 and April 2021. At first, the government denied the allegation. But more leaks — including photographs and emails — soon collapsed that narrative. Next, Boris Johnson apologized for the impression that the parties gave to the public: that the government wasn’t taking lockdowns seriously. Still, he insisted that they had technically been within the rules. Yet the leaks kept coming. Johnson’s former aide, Dominic Cummings, accused the prime minister of lying to Parliament — a resigning offense, according to the ministerial code.