Boris Johnson rejected the convening of early general elections, as the Allies acknowledged that voters would not welcome an early vote aimed at rescuing his prime minister.
The move came as an exclusive poll for The Independent predicts that the Conservative Party will be defeated if the vote is convened now, with Labor not reaching an overall majority, but the prime minister could potentially lose his seat. It said Mr Johnson’s personal position among voters had waned following Sue Gray’s report at Partygate and a failed coup attempt by his own MPs.
But pressure on Mr Johnson was eased by the announcement that a Commons investigation into allegations that he lied to parliament about Downing Street parties would not take testimony from witnesses until the autumn, giving him several months to rebut his position. .
As the ranks of Tory MPs calling for Mr Johnson’s removal have risen in recent weeks, the prime minister’s advisers have used the threat of early voting – and the possible loss of vulnerabilities – to bring hesitant lawmakers into line.
But a source close to Mr Johnson ruled out the possibility of him calling early elections this year, acknowledging that his cuts and turnout at a time when he has a majority in the municipalities would not be credible to voters.
“The president has won a majority of 80 seats, people want us to use him to do the nonsense instead of holding a new vote,” the source said.
Today’s Savanta poll suggests early elections could be disastrous for Mr Johnson, with Labor extending its lead by a point from last month to seven, by 41 per cent against 34 per cent for the Tories and 10 per cent for the Liberal Democrats.
According to the electoral calculator, this would become a hanging parliament with Keir Starmer’s party with about a dozen fewer than the general majority in the Municipalities and capable of forming a fragile administration with the support of Lib Dem. The Tories could lose more than 120 MPs, and Johnson’s place in Uxbridge will be one of those at risk.
The poll showed a breakdown in Mr Johnson’s personal ratings within a month, during which he was criticized in the Partygate report, narrowly escaped being expelled by his own MPs and saw Tories humiliated in the by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton, and Honiton.
Satisfaction with the prime minister’s performance dropped to -35, with only 30 percent saying it was doing a good job and 65 percent saying it was doing a bad job.
That compared to -26 in a similar poll conducted May 21-22, just days before Ms. Gray’s explosive report on the Downing Street blockade violations was published.
The study also suggests that Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s wealth has begun to recover after The Independent’s revelation of his wife’s unpaid status removed him from his position as a favorite to succeed Mr Johnson. .
Following his announcement of a £ 15bn package of living expenses to help households cope with rising prices, the chancellor’s rating rose from -20 to -2 and he was reinstated as Mr Chancellor’s closest rival. Johnson.
About 18 percent named the prime minister the best candidate for Tory leader (down four points from last month), compared to 13 percent for Mr. Sunak (up 5), 8 percent for Jeremy Hunt (unchanged) and 6 percent each. for Liz Trus and Sajid Javid (unchanged).
David Canzini, a senior strategist at number 10, allegedly warned a group of Tory MPs facing close re-election battles last month that early elections could be called.
In recent weeks, there has been speculation in Westminster about the possibility of elections in the autumn of 2022.
Rebel Tory lawmakers said fears Mr Johnson could respond to a coup attempt by going to the polls this fall to win a new term, with one saying he was “crazy enough to tear down the whole house “.
The government’s move to repeal the fixed-term Parliamentary Act introduced by David Cameron means that Johnson is free to call elections at a time of his choice and does not have to wait until the last date in 2024.
The prime minister, who is currently attending a NATO summit in Madrid, will not be drawn to early elections when he is scorched by reporters.
Asked if he was considering the plan, the prime minister said the media was free to offer “policy forecasts”, but insisted he would not “cross paths and start talking about politics”.
Asked again if he was leaning towards early elections, he said: “Oh, for God’s sake! I am not commenting, what I am trying to convey to you is that I am here to comment on politics, the government’s agenda. “
This came when a group of inter-party MPs on the Privileges Committee unanimously backed Labor giants Harriet Harman to chair an investigation that could determine Mr Johnson’s fate as prime minister.
In a move that appears to be aimed at encouraging Downing Street whistleblowers to come out, lawmakers said they were ready to take anonymous evidence. But there was no decision on whether Mr. Johnson and other witnesses would be able to testify behind closed doors or be subjected to a public grill in front of television cameras.
Rebel Tory lawmakers believe the investigation could provide a “flash” for a new leadership challenge if the investigation produces a humiliating sentence for Mr Johnson.
In the worst case scenario for the prime minister, the commission could find him in disrespect to parliament, which would lead to his possible removal from the House of Representatives or even a vote to recall him in Uxbridge.
The current rules of the Tory Committee of 1922 mean that the Prime Minister is safe from a new vote of confidence for 12 months, after winning the vote of Tory MPs with difficulty earlier this month.
But Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said he would run for the 1922 Committee on the grounds that the rules could be changed to allow a new vote of confidence.
Another rebel, Steve Baker, also said he would run for a seat on the committee, and suggested he also wanted the 12-month grace period rule changed.
“We should not change the rules and vote lightly. However, there are foreseeable circumstances in which 1922 may have to act, “Mr Baker said earlier this week.
Savanta interviewed 2,217 adults in the UK on June 25-26.
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