The Tories’ problems go deeper than just one man
Boris Johnson is a symptom of Conservative political malaise, not its cause
“YOU MAY only have lent us your vote. You may not think of yourself as a natural Tory.” In his victory speech after the general election in 2019 Boris Johnson acknowledged that he owed his majority to a combination of first-time and long-term Conservative voters, brought together by a desire to end the battles over Brexit and fear of a far-left Labour government under Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Johnson offered unity not just to a divided country, but also to his own divided party, riven by civil war after the referendum. It is now clear that this unity was a façade.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Factional dissipation”
Leaders February 19th 2022
From the February 19th 2022 edition
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