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The Conservative Party, led by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, suffered a heavy defeat when it lost the seat in North Shropshire, in the west of England, where its political movement had never lost. The electoral setback comes at a time when pressure against Johnson increases after disagreements over the introduction of a Covid-19 health passport and the scandal for attending a Christmas celebration during the first confinement of his country.
“Boris Johnson, the party is over,” were the words of Helen Morgan, of the Liberal Democratic party, after her victory for the North Shropshire seat, which for 200 years was in the hands of the ‘Tories’.
Morgan won with 17,957 votes against the candidate of the ruling Conservative Party, Neil Shastri-Hurst, who won 12,032 endorsement ballots, according to the results released on December 17.
It was a partial election, as it was called after the conservative Owen Paterson, with 24 years in office, was forced to resign after it was revealed that he worked as an advisor to the Randox laboratory and had lobbied several ministries in favor of that business. A clear violation of parliamentary rules for conflict of interest.
In the UK, voters often go to by-elections as a way to punish governments in office.
However, the result was surprising as the Conservatives achieved a successful victory in last May’s by-elections in Hartlepool.
Why does the loss at North Shropshire stagger Johnson?
North Shropshire, a constituency in the west of England, has always sent Conservatives to Parliament in London since its founding nearly two centuries ago. In addition, he supported Brexit at the time, the political flag with which Johnson came to Downing Street to replace Theresa May.
Now for the first time, his electorate, historically conditional on the ‘Tories, elects a liberal democrat to represent him in the Legislature, which is seen as a clear sign of disagreement with Johnson, who has already been dragging a decline in his leadership.
“The voters were fed up and they kicked us. They were fed up with a by-election that was called on allegations of squalor; they were fed up with all the type of histories that are happening at the moment “, recognized the co-president of the Conservative Party, Oliver Dowden, in an interview with the British press.
Likewise, this defeat may further fuel the voices within the Conservative Party itself that have begun to ask Johnson to resign.
The British prime minister faces stiff pressure after around 100 ‘Tories’ in Parliament recently refused to support the introduction of a health pass, a certificate that requires vaccination to access certain facilities.
The British premier has also been the subject of scandals after it was recently revealed that he broke the rules during his country’s first lockdown by attending a Christmas party in December 2020.
The nonconformity of politicians and citizens increases as the United Kingdom faces spiraling inflation as a result of the large debt generated during the lockdowns to try to mitigate the pandemic, high costs of electricity and stuck supply chains after Brexit. The country expects a tax hike from next April.
Britain is also suffering from inflation as a result of heavy borrowing during the lockdowns, high energy prices, and stuck supply chains. Tax increases are also on the horizon as of next April.
With Reuters, EFE and local media
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