boris johnson

circumstances surround appt:

• Leadership Contest (2019):

  • Resignation in May 2019 led to a Conservative leadership contest.

  • Johnson won all 5 rounds of voting by MPs.

  • Johnson defeated Jeremy Hunt in the sixth vote with 66.4% of the votes.

• General Election (2019):

  • Johnson called a general election in 2019.

  • Conservatives won a landslide victory with 43.6% of the vote and 365 seats.

  • Labour, led by Jeremy Corbyn, won 202 seats, a decrease of 60 seats.

primary events:

• Brexit Deal:

  • Eventually negotiated a Brexit deal.

  • Public preference for a deal, considering it better than no deal.

• General Election (2019):

  • Decisive Tory victory in 2019.

  • Strengthened mandate for pushing through Brexit deal and other policies.

• COVID and Partygate:

  • Mixed public opinion on Boris's handling of COVID.

  • Partygate scandal had a detrimental impact on Boris's popularity.

  • Partygate seen as a potential end for Boris.

relationship w/ wider parl:

• Unlawful Prorogation (2019):

  • Prorogued Parliament for 5 weeks in 2019 to avoid scrutiny of Brexit deal.

  • Controversy over executive powers.

• Partygate and COVID:

  • Accused of lying to Parliament during COVID (Partygate).

  • Tensions with House of Lords over Internal Market Bill.

• Owen Paterson Suspension Attempt (2021):

  • Attempted to block Owen Paterson's suspension for paid lobbying.

  • Raised questions and concerns.

• Rumours of Secret Daughter:

  • Speculation about Boris's secret daughter, Charlotte Owens, receiving a peerage.

  • Added intrigue to the political landscape.

rebellions during his premiership:

• COVID Votes:

  • Vote on renewal of Coronavirus Act 2020 faced scrutiny led by Graham Brady.

  • 42 MPs rebelled against the 10pm curfew during COVID.

  • 55 Tory MPs opposed a new COVID-19 tier system; 16 abstained.

  • 70 Tory MPs voted against increased mask-wearing for Omicron in 2021.

• Other Defied Whips:

  • 3 three-line whips were defied in successive votes (Dec20, Jun21, Dec21).

  • 5 Tory MPs supported extending free school meals after Rashford's campaign.

  • Opposition to cuts to international aid, with high-profile MPs like Theresa May voting against party lines for the first time.

relationship w/ cabinet:

• February 2020 Reshuffle:

  • Replaced Sajid Javid with Rishi Sunak as Chancellor.

  • Javid rejected a plan for unified Number 10 and 11 advisers.

  • Resulted in a reduced Chancellor's independence.

• September 2021 Reshuffle:

  • Removed ministers with a reputation for incompetence, e.g., Gavin Williamson (Education).

  • Implemented changes to address perceived competency issues.

• Brexit Committees:

  • Created two new Cabinet Committees for Brexit.

  • Indicated a strategic focus on managing Brexit-related challenges.

• Inner Core Decision-Making:

  • Key decisions initially taken by an 'inner core' of four: Bojo, Sunak, Gove, Hancock.

  • Later, Hancock was replaced by Javid in the decision-making core.

was he in control?

• Controlled:

  • Global pandemic forced deviations from low state interference beliefs.

  • Factions emerged, e.g., ERG and Northern Research Group, challenging control.

  • Limitations: Minority government till Dec 2019, impact of 2011 Fixed-Term Parliaments Act (repealed in 2021).

  • Controversies: Islamophobia, Paterson, alleged comments about letting bodies pile up, Downing Street refurbishment funded by donors.

  • Accusations of a shadowy cabal, 'the movement,' plotting against Bojo, including Dominic Cummings and Michael Gove.

• In Control:

  • Won a vote of confidence after controversies like Partygate.

  • Charismatic leadership style.

  • Successfully passed significant legislation, including the 2022 Elections Act (voter ID), 2021 rise in NHS and social care tax, and the 2022 Building Safety Bill addressing Grenfell.

what led to his downfall?

• The Chris Pincher Affair (June 2022):

  • MP and deputy chief whip Chris Pincher accused of misconduct.

  • Johnson initially claimed ignorance of accusations despite prior knowledge.

• Partygate (April 2022):

  • Johnson fined for holding a party during COVID restrictions.

  • Faced party dissent, with 41% voting against him in a confidence vote and losing two by-elections.

• Cost-of-Living Crisis (April 2022):

  • Johnson contributed to the problem with a tax rise, causing a 1.25p rise in National Insurance.

what is his legacy?

• COVID Mishandling (2020):

  • Johnson and cabinet linked to mishandling of the 2020 epidemic.

  • Contributed to Johnson's downfall as PM.

• Prorogation (Non-Codified Constitution):

  • Johnson's use of proroguing Parliament for 5 weeks.

  • Suspected to reduce scrutiny time on Brexit deals.

• Exceptionalist Attitude to Laws:

  • Johnson's manipulation and disregard for rules.

  • Scandals involving MPs Owen Paterson and Chris Pincher.

  • Created uncertainty and an unreliable government image.