Anyone understand why Johnson is so far ahead in the polls?

I suppose I was simplistic to expect that asking the question in the title would actually want an answer! I think that's where my mistake lies. Hey ho ?

Could it be because people have woken up to the fact that a Labour administration policy is to spend, spend, spend until the money runs out (remember that note?) Then the Conservatives are voted in to sort out the mess - which in order to do so results in cuts.

In Boris they see someone who isn't afraid to spend the money (remember the furlough system) but also doesn't hide the fact that it will have to be paid for in the long run.

May I respectfully suggest that UG and others who see so much to applaud in this administration, take the time to read 'Failures of State' by George Arbuthnott and Jonathan Calvert. They are investigative journalists from the Sunday Times, so not exactly raving lefties. Their findings are harrowing.

Maybe Boris’s popularity can be put down to the fact that he gets things done.

Theresa May struggled so much to complete Brexit to such an extent that we had almost lost the will to live.

Then along came Boris Johnson who stood up to the truculent EU and lo and behold he Got Brexit Done just as he had promised.

He dealt with the pandemic and everything has already been said about how brilliantly the vaccine programme is going.

Maybe that’s why he’s popular.

When Nicola Sturgeon (for instance) talks about continuing restrictions she talks about wanting to see her mum and dad in Ayrshire. Her sister who is a front line nurse. She talks about how hard its been and she does it with credibility. That's why people relate.

When Boris Johnson talks about continuing restrictions he refers to the twin pillars of Scylla and Charybdis and how he's looking forward to a drink in the pub. Presumably so he won't have to look at that terrible John Lewis furniture while he's out of the house. Then there may well be a reference to Operation Moon-shot or some other unsubstantiated future plan.

Its all about relatability. Some people relate to Johnson, some of us think he's an over-educated snob with no common touch or empathy whatsoever.

As for the patronising bit - the "I just can't understand it!" feeling prevails in the people who couldn't work it out for themselves in the first place.
I'd hate to be in an understanding rut like that.

Not everybody would find it patronising to be considered someone who couldn't work it out for themselves, somebody so stuck in their own viewpoint that they couldn't see outside it. I did. Of course maybe it was just a debating technique

The vaccine roll out worked so well because finally someone decided to let the NHS, with all it's expertise in mass vaccination programmes, run it. If you want to credit Boris with the vaccine roll out then you have to also lay the blame at his door for the Track and Trace fiasco. You can't just say he did well with one thing and forget the many disasters and dodgy deals..

Absolutely right, I don’t care about his furnishings, and if I look at someone elses I possibly wouldn’t like their taste either. As you say he got the vaccine roll out much better than Germany 70 year old sister there only just got hers, I’ve had both. So Boris done good.

Baggs - my answer. Yes, I do. It is early in this government and we are in a pandemic. Because we feel things are better than the appalling situation we were in last year people just want to hang on to where we are at the moment.

Starmer is building his campaign. He will be able to come back to that when he has given Johnson enough rope in PMQs.

By then - when all the nasties have come out from under Johnson's stones - Starmer will be able to set out an agenda for a Labour government. People will have seen what Johnson has done to the country and, as he doesn't have any friends, he will be very lonely as he is toppled.

Many people do not want anything to change until "things get back to normal". When they realise this is never going to happen to many people that they know, who are family, friends, etc., they will be prepared to think about it.

None of this means Labour will win but it will mean Johnson will lose. By then the Tory party may have kicked him into touch and may be able to present a better face to the public, but I doubt it. They will all be somewhat tarred with the Johnson brush.

So I think the opposition parties just have to bite the bullet at the moment and do their best in the local elections and then get on with showing people that we have miserable drones and traitors running the country and that we need to rid ourselves of the turbulent Primeminister - by ballot of course, not murder

Baggs as usual I find your comments spot on!

Could it be because people have woken up to the fact that a Labour administration policy is to spend, spend, spend until the money runs out (remember that note?) Then the Conservatives are voted in to sort out the mess - which in order to do so results in cuts.

There are very, very few Economists who would agree with this version of the global financial crisis and its handling by Labour and tory governments. But it makes wonderful propaganda for those who don't want to know the truth.

The economy was recovering nicely from the GFC when the tories took over. Spending cuts were absolutely the wrong thing to do and most economists, including those of the International Monetary Fund, would tell you that. Tory cuts prolonged the post GFC recession for much longer than it needed.

But it's really convenient for the tories that so many people believe that we'll have to have spending cuts once 'normality' is restored because it gives them a free hand to go ahead with privatising the NHS and anything else they can sell off; and increasing taxes for working people and restricting pay rises. With very little protest...

There will be spending cuts with the pandemic being blamed and then, lo and behold, just before the next election the magic money tree with flower again.

Alegrias1

Witzend

‘....who seems to have taken nothing from his expensive education but some dog Latin and a massive sense of entitlement....’

Er, hardly the point I know, but I do seem to recall reading that he managed a first in Classics...

At least he’s not spouting ancient Greek at us, too, at least not that I’ve heard so far.

He got a 2:1 in Literae Humaniores. Still pretty good, but its not a first in Classics.

Johnson marshalling his knowledge of ancient Greek myths for the edification of the masses:

www.bing.com/videos/search?q=boris+quoting+ancient+greek&docid=607989793787883641&mid=4CCC53651645799F33354CCC53651645799F3335&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

And he is so connected to the people of this country that he wanted every child to learn Latin. Thought that it was vitally important......

And, as with a lot of things these days people seem to have a lot of ideas not based on truth, one of them being that underneath his bumbling facade is a sharp and intelligent mind. So everyone assumes he has this amazingly good degree even though with the sort of education he had anything other than first class with honours is a disappointment. Then of course, to some he is the man who gave us our country back and took back control even though he only decided to do so on the flip of a coin. And the reason why Theresa May struggled to ‘get brexit done’ was that Johnson and the ERG voted against it. And their deal was no better. But, hey, let’s not let the truth get in the way of fiction. Bendy bananas anyone?

Oopsadaisy1

I’ve tried to dislike him but I can’t, I’m with Urms on this one. He cheers me up, he’s done a brilliant job with the vaccines, we can’t prove that someone else would have done better, but there are plenty out there who would have done a worse job, ditto with Brexit.
I also don’t care what he looks like.
Until there is proof that he has broken the law, then I’m still with Boris.

I agree 100%

I don't care who paid for the curtains.
I have a positive feeling for our country in the next 4 years with Boris in charge.
I don't know why, I just do.

More than £900 billion in assets has left the City of London as a result of Brexit. London is no longer Europe's financial hub.
The Tories talked about how wonderful Deliveroo was. It was described as a true British success story by Sunak rolling out the red carpet prior to its flotation.

Deliveroo had hoped for an £8.8 billion valuation but the city valued it at £7.6 billion and at the end of it's first day of trading it had dropped by 26%, resulting in a loss of £50 million to 70,000 small investors. This debacle was caused by a number of problems, which I won't bore you with at present.

However, the above just goes to show that the Tories aren't quite as good at finance as many of their supporters think.

Why are people still talking about bloody curtains? It's not how they cost but it's how Johnson got the money to pay for them. He says he paid for them - fair enough - but who put the money into his pockets and what did they get for doing so. If they owners/shareholders of the companies I referred to in an earlier post then £258,000 is small beer.

alegrias, what you say about reliability in your 11:36:04 post is interesting. It has helped me understand something anyway. I hardly ever actually listen to politicians. I read about what they've said because I find nearly all of them extremely irritating to listen to. A lot of what they say is guff. And then there's how they say it as well, as you point out.

I guess I'm more interested in what they do and the results thereof.

Anyway, thanks for that post.

I enjoyed your post at 12:13:20 too, pippaz.

I too feel positive with Boris Sharon! ?
I even think the Tories will take Hartlepool on Thursday!
I wish Shaun Bailey would oust Sadiq Khan in London, but that won’t happen.

Our PM's are not paid enough. To ask someone to run the Country for about £135 is poor. I would up their salaries to £500 p.a. They should also cut the number of MP's by half and double their pay. This should encourage better people to go in for politics.

Agree Boz. And scrap hereditary peers and cull the numbers right down in the HoL.

I think I meant £500.000! Not a lot for a top job!

Some people are better than others at public speaking I think Baggs, by which I mean they are better at connecting with an audience and bonding with them.

Johnson is often held up as a great orator but I think that is based on his debating skills in a structured debate, when "clever" answers and deflecting the questions are seen as good things. Which is why I think he struggles with answering questions at PMQs and so on. I don't think he really understands that people are actually looking for answers, not clever ripostes.

Baggs

*alegrias*, what you say about reliability in your 11:36:04 post is interesting. It has helped me understand something anyway. I hardly ever actually listen to politicians. I read about what they've said because I find nearly all of them extremely irritating to listen to. A lot of what they say is guff. And then there's how they say it as well, as you point out.

I guess I'm more interested in what they do and the results thereof.

Anyway, thanks for that post.

But if you only read about what politicians say then surely you’re just getting the interpretation of what was said by the person who wrote it. And do you not feel the need to watch someone’s body language when they speak? Or listen to their voice to determine their sincerity?

In answer to the OP, because the choices are so Dire!