Johnson stares down major electoral tests in two by-elections
Boris Johnson will face a major electoral test this week as voters go to the polls in two by-elections.
The Tories are increasingly expected to lose both the Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton by-elections on Thursday, after a bruising six months for the Prime Minister.
A series of scandals – including a flow of Tory MP sleaze stories and partygate – has seen the Conservatives sink in the polls, with the Prime Minister now diabolically unpopular in opinion polling.
Both by-elections were called after Tory MPs were forced to step down, with former Wakefield MP Imran Ahmad Khan found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.
Former Tiverton and Honiton MP Neil Parish was forced to resign, after it was revealed he watched pornography multiple times in the House of Commons in view of other MPs.
It has been speculated that fresh plans to oust Johnson could be hatched by Tory rebels if the party loses both by-elections, however party rules would need to be changed to allow another leadership vote within the next 12 months.
One Conservative MP told Morning Wire that decisive losses on Thursday would “seriously undermine” claims by Johnson that he is still an electoral asset.
The Conservatives won both seats at the 2019 General Election, with the West Yorkshire constituency of Wakefield turning blue for the first time since 1931.
If Labour is unable to win Wakefield then pressure will likely be piled on Sir Keir Starmer.
There are some concerns within the party that he is not electable, with several shadow cabinet ministers telling The Times last week that the public found him “boring”.
Tiverton and Honiton is historically a Conservative safe seat, with the party boasting a 24,000 vote majority in the past election, however internal party polling shows the Liberal Democrats are neck-and-neck.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey played down his party’s chances, saying that a win would be the largest majority ever overturned at a by-election, however party figures are more confident.