On the streets of Swindon in the south of England this week, a phrase could be heard over and over again: “That’s the rule for them and another for the rest of us.”
A sense of outrage has swept across the country following the Downing Street revelations parties held during the coronavirus lockdown, even as Britons are required to follow rules banning large social gatherings.
So far, only a handful of Conservative MPs have publicly calling for Boris Johnson to resign since he admitted to attending a “Bring Your Wine” gathered in the garden on Downing Street in May 2020 during Britain’s first strike.
But this weekend represents a difficult time for the prime minister as Tory MPs return to their constituency to gauge the national mood following his partial apology – Johnson said in the asked the prime minister in the House of Commons on Wednesday that he thought the May 2020 meeting was a “Business Event”.
Many Conservatives are ready to wait a the impending report of Sue Grey, a high-ranking civil servant, into partisanship and accusations of Covid rule-breaking spread, but MPs are bracing for a backlash from the public and Tory activists.
In Swindon, Conservative councilor Bazil Solomon gives the latest news on two parties in Downing Street on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021 is “terrible”.
Conservative Councilor Bazil Solomon: “[Boris Johnson] will be replaced. . . At the end of the day, you can only apologize so much” © Sam Frost
“When [Gray] Reports are available on what happened, who significantly broke the rules of Covid-19. . . should reconsider their employment,” he added.
“[Johnson] will be replaced. . . At the end of the day, you can only apologize so much. ”
Johnson has proven his political prowess over the years by winning mayor of London in 2008, the Brexit referendum in 2016 and the general election in 2019.
But in the midst of the “party” scandal he looks like he is becoming an electoral liability, which is worrying many Tory MPs and activists ahead of local elections in the UK on 5/5.
An opinion poll this week by Savanta ComRes found that two-thirds of people think the prime minister should step down, including 42% of those who voted Conservative at the 2019 election.
On Thursday, executive members of the Sutton Coldfield Tory association in the West Midlands unanimously voted that they do not trust Johnson.
Simon Ward, Conservative leader of Sutton Coldfield town council, said the government had asked people to make “major sacrifices” during the pandemic for two years. “We have every right to expect everyone in government. . . to follow the same rules,” he added.
The grassroots Conservatives, an influential group that formerly backed Johnson, have emailed supporters to ask if they think the prime minister should step down.
A sticky note on the window of South Swindon congressman Robert Buckland’s constituency office sparked anger in the town © Sam Frost
Swindon, where key employers include National building society, was once under Labor control, both at the local and national levels.
In recent years, however, the Tories have consolidated control of both Westminster constituencies – Swindon North and Swindon South, the latter held by former cabinet minister Robert Buckland – as well as the local government where last year they increased their majority to 15 seats.
But the local Tories are increasingly worried about local elections in May and whether they will lose seats because of partisanship.
David Renard, Conservative leader of Swindon council, said it was a “truth” about the national situation that was of public concern.
“But it’s still early to see what the impact will be when local elections take place in four months,” he added. “I hope when people vote in these elections, they will think about what the party has done for them locally.”
However, Julia Bishop, a longtime Conservative commissioner in Swindon, said local elections are often influenced by national events.
She cites the aftermath of the Falklands War in 1982, when 15 Tories were elected councilors in Swindon amid the famed Margaret Thatcher prime minister.
Bishop said she thought Johnson “probably went too far this time” by breaking Covid rules and then making “silly excuses” when arrested.
“Sometimes he seems so far removed from the truth,” she added. “In[prime minister’s questions]. . . people laughed at the absurdity of his excuses. “
Part of Bishop’s anger is that her brother died in 2020 and the family can only hold a limited funeral due to Covid rules. “Millions of people have similar stories,” she said.
A poll by the local newspaper, The Swindon Advertiser, this week found that the public strongly opposes Johnson’s behavior: 79% of people want him to resign.
Rebecca Hollinshead, who works at cocktail bar Brass Monkey in Swindon’s old town, said she supported Johnson on Brexit but now thinks he is “making a fool of Britain”.
Store assistant Colleen Mundy: “People are angry at the loss of loved ones and him [Johnson] being in the garden drinking with a bunch of people” © Sam Frost
People in Swindon can be found who think partygate is a storm in a teacup. Rachel Irving, a pensioner, said many people have ignored the lockdown rules, adding: “I will always vote for Tory anyway.”
But she seems to be in a small minority. At the Savoy pub in central Swindon, the prime minister was largely disapproving.
Steve McNally, a carpenter, said. “I would say that 9 out of 10 people are pissed at him right now.”
Colleen Mundy, a shop assistant, said Johnson needed a “push” to write the Covid rules and then ignore them. “People were angry because they lost loved ones and he was in the garden drinking with a large number of people,” she added.
Additional reporting by Miles Ellingham in London
