Boris Johnson’s popularity with grassroots Conservatives leaves a return to politics open, despite pressure from ministers and MPs from his own party to force the outgoing British prime minister out of Downing Street.
A mid-August poll by Opinium found that more than 60% of activists said they would choose Johnson “better” than Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak.
In another YouGov poll for Sky News this month, Johnson received 46% of the vote, almost joined by Truss (24%) or Sunak (23%), while 55% of respondents spoke against him leaving.
The party itself forced the resignation of the Conservative leader following a series of scandals and doubts about the integrity of the chief executive, along with the resignation of more than 50 members of the government.
Last Tuesday, he was pressed by journalists during a visit to expand broadband internet in rural areas of the country.
“I think most people in this country are more interested in their high-speed Internet connection than the fate of a politician,” he replied.
A campaign led by billionaire and House of Lords member Peter Crudas has reached almost 9,000 signatures to replace Boris Johnson’s resignation with militants.
Johnson was vague when he waved goodbye to delegates in July, saying, “Hasta la vista, baby.” [até à próxima]A famous phrase from the movie “Terminator 2”.
In another famous scene from the film, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character also announced his return. [“I’ll be back”]But Johnson didn’t repeat that line.
“I think there’s a clear possibility of Johnson coming back,” Conservative Lord Jonathan Marland told the BBC, anticipating a situation where he’s looking for a leader who can win an election after losing a general election, and Boris has it. “.
Rory Stewart, a former colleague turned arch-rival, speculates that Johnson might follow the example of Italian Silvio Berlusconi or Pakistani Imran Khan, both of whom have fallen from grace but have publicly announced their desire to return to active duty.
“He will be waiting for a populist comeback,” Stewart told The Guardian.
Trevor Kavanagh, former political editor of The Sun, warned that a Johnson return to power would be “disastrous for the Conservative Party, the country and Boris”.
Despite his admiration among Tories, “Bojo”, as he is known, divides opinion and many Britons are oblivious to the many missteps taken, such as the ‘participation’ scandal of illegal parties in Downing Street during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As Theresa May did in 2019, the current Prime Minister must continue to serve as a deputy in Parliament.
But a parliamentary inquiry into whether MPs lied about Downing Street parties during the pandemic could lead to suspension and loss of office.
In contemporary British history, only two prime ministers, Conservative Winston Churchill and Labour’s Harold Wilson, have returned to office for a second term, but both were leaders of their respective parties and the opposition between two terms.
On Tuesday, Boris Johnson is expected to hand in his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II, for the first time in her 70-year reign, at Balmoral Castle in northern Scotland instead of Buckingham Palace in London.
Johnson’s successor, the 15th head of government of Elizabeth II’s reign, will be welcomed by the monarch in Scotland on Tuesday, who will then appoint a new prime minister (or prime minister). Leader of the party with parliamentary majority.
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