One Hell of a Kicking for Boris Johnson

INSIDE BRIEFING with Institute for Government

A seismic North Shropshire by-election result rocks the Johnson government, handing a seat that’s been almost exclusively Conservative for 200 years to the Lib Dems. Can the Prime Minister put an end to his scandals and self-inflicted troubles – or are we looking at the beginning of the end for Boris Johnson?

Plus, scientific advice from Chris Whitty and SAGE falls out of sync with No.10’s messaging. Is the Government really at war with its scientists? And if Plan B was so hard to get through, what are the chances for Plan C? Our special guest is JACK BLANCHARD of Politico.

• “There’s no two ways about it. Boris Johnson took a hell of a kicking last night.” – JACK BLANCHARD
• “What’s most worrying for the Tories is the ghost of the mid-90s when voters got a taste for finding ways to vote them out.” – GILES WILKES
• “The party story has cut through like nothing since Barnard Castle.” – JACK BLANCHARD

“It doesn’t feel like Boris Johnson can get through the next few months without putting his foot in it… and getting into a Gordon Brown Death Spiral.” – JACK BLANCHARD

Presented by Hannah White with Cath Haddon and Giles Wilkes. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG.

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