Great Britain
Experts: Johnson strengthened by Russian Ukraine war
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of Great Britain, in London. According to experts, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has significantly reduced the pressure on the ailing politician. Photo: Matt Dunham/AP/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Boris Johnson’s tenure as Prime Minister was about to end because of the “Partygate” affair. But now there has been silence for weeks. According to British experts, this has one reason above all.
According to experts, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has significantly eased the pressure on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“A cynic would say that the war in Ukraine has proved a useful distraction for Boris Johnson,” political scientist Tim Bale of Queen Mary University in London told the German Press Agency. Political scientist Matthew Flinders told the dpa that the war was “a kind of useful shield” for Johnson. Attention is diverted from the “Partygate” affair and other critical issues such as the enormous cost of living.
weak opposition
“In these times, opposition from both the media and other political parties ebbs for fear of being seen as unpatriotic to the Prime Minister during an international crisis,” said the expert from the University of Sheffield. There is also a weak opposition. “The Labor Party does not currently present itself as a serious future governing party with a clear leadership team or a unified political agenda,” said Flinders. Instead of a clear confrontation with the Tories, internal conflicts dominated.
London Police are still investigating several downing street lockdown parties. At that time, there were strict contact restrictions. Johnson, who attended several celebrations, insists the meetings were work meetings. Because of his handling of the affair, several MPs from his Conservative Party had called for his resignation. On Friday, police handed out the first fines of £50 each against around 20 participants at a celebration. This means that rules were actually broken at the events.
Local elections possible vote of no confidence
The danger for Johnson is far from over, as author Mark Garnett told dpa. On the one hand, the prime minister could still get a fine from the police. For many Tories, that would be confirmation that Johnson lied to Parliament. On the other hand, important local elections are coming up at the beginning of May. “If the Tories have to put up with a bitter defeat, it would be taken as a public vote of no confidence in Johnson,” said Garnett, who teaches political philosophy at Lancaster University. The party would then presumably urge him to withdraw.