Two-Thirds of Voters Think Johnson Should Resign
LONDON (The Independent) - Two-thirds of British voters believe Boris Johnson should resign as prime minister amid outcry over the latest reports of a rule-breaking drinks party in the No 10 rose garden.
The survey will come as a blow to Johnson as he faces growing questions over his own involvement in the gathering.
At the time, England was still emerging from the first strict national lockdown to contain the spread of COVID, with members of the public banned from meeting more than one other person outdoors.
According to the pollsters Savanta ComRes, a clear majority (66 per cent) said the prime minister should now resign, including 42 per cent of those who cast their vote for the Conservatives at the 2019 winter election.
It represents a 12-point increase on a previous snap poll by the organization in December in the wake of separate allegations of a party held at No 10 during the winter of 2020 when London faced tough COVID restrictions.
Of the 1,040 UK adults surveyed, Savanta ComRes added that under a quarter (24 per cent) said the prime minister should not resign.
When asked whether Mr Johnson was still an “asset” to the Tory party, those who voted for the party in 2019 were equally divided, with 45 per cent saying he was no longer an asset and 45 per cent suggesting he remained and asset.
Johnson Apologizes for Attending Party During Lockdown
On Wednesday, Johnson apologized for attending the garden party during the first coronavirus lockdown, but brushed aside opposition demands that he resign for breaching the rules his own government had imposed on the nation.
The apology, which stopped short of admitting wrongdoing, was Johnson’s attempt to assuage a tide of anger from the public and politicians after repeated accusations he and his staff flouted pandemic restrictions by socializing when it was banned.
The most recent scandal could become a tipping point for a leader who has weathered a series of other storms, with some members of Johnson’s Conservative Party saying he must quit if he broke the rules.