Boris: Creative Conservative to the COVID Prime Minister
Far from the maverick premiership he promised, backed by vows to “get Brexit done” and level up the North, Boris Johnson’s fledgling premiership took a drastic turn three months in with the first national COVID-19 lockdown. Since then, things have gone from bad to worse, with Johnson overseeing almost a year and a half of COVID restrictions, three national lockdowns and one of the highest COVID death tolls in Europe.
Although reaching the final stage of his roadmap out of lockdown has been hailed as a success by many in his party, the UK’s soaring COVID case rates and Johnson’s refusal to rule out the return of lockdown restrictions continues to paint a bleak picture for the Prime Minister. The man who expected to lead “a great year for Britain” (as he famously tweeted in January 2020) will now be known as “the COVID PM”, with the country’s high death toll and Government U-turns likely to permanently stain his tenure.
The Creative Conservative
As a creative Conservative, Johnson’s appeal was far broader than most other members of his party. As Mayor of London his popularity soared, largely due to his gaffe-prone, humorous nature and success in organising the 2012 Olympics, one of the most defining events of the last decade. Despite controversies around his personal life and comments he had made as a journalist, Johnson was largely riding high on a wave of public support. Indeed, his last-minute rush to the Leave Campaign in the 2016 EU Referendum greatly enhanced the campaign’s credibility with moderate and swing voters.
Not long after his success in the Conservative Party Leadership Election in July 2019, Johnson went one better than his “strong and stable” predecessor, Theresa May, by winning the next General Election that December with a significant majority over his rival, former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn. Perhaps most promising for Johnson’s fledgling premiership was the support garnered from Labour heartlands, which the Conservatives never expected to turn blue, assisted by Corbyn’s unpopularity. Finalising the Withdrawal Agreement and Brexit transition period only enhanced Johnson’s credibility and support further, providing a jubilant entry into 2020.
From “Strong and Stable” to Sinking and Stinking
Naturally the COVID-19 pandemic would put a strain on anyone’s premiership, but it soon proved to be uniquely difficult for our Prime Minister. The Prime Minister’s handling of the pandemic got off to a poor start when he famously shook hands with COVID patients, despite medics warning about the dangers of this. The initial decision to lock down the country came late, with borders remaining open months into the first national lockdown. Although the NHS did not reach its full capacity during the first peak of the virus in April as feared, Johnson himself ended up hospitalised and several key health policymakers, including Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, also contracted the virus. Much like his predecessor, Johnson quickly went from “strong and stable” to “sinking and stinking”.
Schemes such as Eat Out to Help Out and the lack of foresight around the return of schools and universities last September soon added to the growing criticism of the Government. This came from all parts of the political spectrum as cases spiked again in the Autumn, and now, again, this summer.
Johnson’s grip over policy has gradually become weaker. He has overseen consistent U-turns on policies including free school meals, school closures, the delay of the June 21st “Freedom Day” and, most recently, the “pilot testing scheme” that would have seen himself and the Chancellor evade COVID isolation rules. Johnson did not help himself after these U-turns by nervously stuttering out excuses for these changes when questioned by journalists at his daily press briefings, further damaging the credibility of his policies.
Johnson’s removal of close adviser Dominic Cummings from Number 10 has also fuelled the fire around his alleged incompetency, with Cummings texts revealing that Johnson himself had lost trust in former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, but still kept him in his post, and that he appeared dismissive of the high death toll of elderly COVID patients. The Prime Minister has certainly made some questionable decisions over the course of the pandemic, but his decision-making being slandered by the man who was once most close to him would have come as one of the biggest.
The COVID Prime Minister
Whilst Johnson achieved one major success during his premiership – the avoidance of a no-deal Brexit and a new trade agreement with the European Union – this is likely not enough to uphold a positive legacy. This achievement being swiftly followed by a third national lockdown and a questionable policy towards unlocking the country means that it will pale in comparison to Johnson’s COVID legacy. Although the vaccination rollout has improved his popularity somewhat, as shown in May’s local election results and the Conservative Party’s polling, COVID will remain the overriding stain on the Johnson legacy. Therefore, given the tumultuous start to his premiership at a time of national uncertainty and his failure to stem COVID case numbers for almost 18 months, Johnson will forever be known as the COVID Prime Minister.
Sarina Kiayani
Interel