People Are Calling Time On Boris Johnson (Again) After Tory By-Election Defeats: 'He's Toast'

"This feels like the beginning of the end," Rory Stewart tweeted.
Boris Johnson is facing yet another wave of criticism after the Tories lost two seats in by-elections overnight
Boris Johnson is facing yet another wave of criticism after the Tories lost two seats in by-elections overnight
DAN KITWOOD via Getty Images

Boris Johnson is facing further ridicule on social media after the Conservatives lost two seats in dramatic by-elections along with a cabinet member this morning.

In Tiverton and Homerton, voters chose Liberal Democrats to replace their previous Tory MP while in Wakefield a new Labour MP was elected.

In the aftermath of the upset, Conservative Party chair Oliver Dowden resigned from government too, explaining that someone “must take responsibility” for the defeats.

Yet, the prime minister remains defiant, blaming mid-term blues and the cost of living crisis while avoiding any mention of his own role when speaking to the media.

In his response to Dowden’s resignation letter, Johnson thanked him for his work but maintained that this government was still elected with a “historic mandate” back in 2019 – suggesting it had not lost the public’s support.

It seems not everyone is willing to let the prime minister escape the blame for this one though, judging from the jokes on Twitter this morning.

“Historic mandate”…. Next up for Johnson, an ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE ME tattoo pic.twitter.com/mRpfcujFno

— Marina Hyde (@MarinaHyde) June 24, 2022

“It’s just the usual mid-term political headwinds” pic.twitter.com/GCGMutz3FJ

— Matt Wells (@MatthewWells) June 24, 2022

Dear Prime Minister,
We can't carry on with business as usual. Somebody has to take responsibility. And as you never will, I suppose it will have to be me.
Yours sincerely,
Oliver Dowden. https://t.co/EmD3QphGxj

— Nick Cohen (@NickCohen4) June 24, 2022

I bet everyone on the doorsteps in Wakefield and Tiverton was saying that Oliver Dowden was the reason they didn't vote Tory.

— Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) June 24, 2022

Boris Johnson's pronoun is now "someone". As in "someone needs to take responsibility."

— Rafael Behr (@rafaelbehr) June 24, 2022

A devastating resignation for Boris Johnson because it comes from one of his earliest and most passionate supporters, who backed many of his cultural fights, and risked his reputation defending him for years. This feels like the beginning of the end. https://t.co/3cOqwX2B8I

— Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) June 24, 2022

He’s toast.

— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) June 24, 2022

Hearing Volodymyr Zelenskyy is making up the sofa bed

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) June 24, 2022

Looking forward to “Johnson HAS to go now, he can’t POSSIBLY survive this” episode 952, today.

— Scott Balcony (@scottbalcony) June 24, 2022

Even a handful of Tory MPs have tweeted about their frustration with Johnson following the poor by-election results.

Honourable. https://t.co/75zH07gOSa

— Tobias Ellwood MP (@Tobias_Ellwood) June 24, 2022

Conservative voters stay at home when the Treasury serves up higher taxes instead of easing the cost of living squeeze. They want the government to be on their side, not taxing and bossing them too much.

— John Redwood (@johnredwood) June 24, 2022

“For you to prolong this charade not only insults the electorate, and the people who support, volunteer, represent and campaign for our party; it makes a decisive change of government at the next election much more likely. That is potentially catastrophic for this country.“ https://t.co/bx9qyt2Ueq

— Jesse Norman (@Jesse_Norman) June 24, 2022

Other people were keener to blame Dowden and the rest of the Conservative Party for their years of supporting the prime minister.

"I supported you as leader of the party while you were winning no matter what havoc you wreaked upon the country but now that you are losing I'm going leap from the sinking ship and swim to shore" https://t.co/i0GEmuBKeq

— Sooz Kempner (@SoozUK) June 24, 2022

Tories discovering the downside of having a leader whose superpower is shamelessness.

— . (@twlldun) June 24, 2022

Staggering that Dowden, man who demeaned himself most for Johnson's inane culture wars, now claims to have standards. https://t.co/mtT3Eh83yY

— Sathnam Sanghera (@Sathnam) June 24, 2022

The first casualty of Oliver Dowden’s confected ‘culture war’ is Oliver Dowden.

— James Oh Brien (@mrjamesob) June 24, 2022

Incredible that Oliver Dowden has reached his shame threshold. No one knew he had one

— John Crace (@JohnJCrace) June 24, 2022

What is this snivelling woke psychodrama? https://t.co/2eWzahATLH

— THE SECRET TORY 🗽 (@secrettory12) June 24, 2022
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