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

Wow Urm, you're certainly knocking it for six today. Bravo! I so agree with you regarding the vitriol. I stay well clear of the diehards. I have a simple (yep, that's me!) question for all the Boris bashers, please. Who would you replace him with? I wouldn't give tuppence for a single one of the ones I am aware of. Perhaps better the devil we 'know' but I do agree he is a dreadful ambassador in general. As for Labour, well they come over as so bland and lacking in originality. The only one who stands out for me is Jess Phillips and she seems to get all sorts of personal bashing. Interesting, if perhaps a little sad, times indeed. I follow this thread with interest. Thanks to all for calm contributions so far.

Don’t know if any of you read the book by Sasha Swire ‘Diary of a Politician’s Wife’ or very similar title. Written before Brexit and Covid.

Her husband was a Tory MP, so written from a Conservative viewpoint, when DC was PM.

One part stuck in my mind, she was at a dinner party, sitting next to Boris. She said Boris was absolutely the best person to be seated near, funny, witty, flirtatious, just great company.

Not saying these qualities make him a great PM, but makes you realise how charismatic he must be. That’s what appeals to voters.

I’m quite sure he bends the truth, but they all do.

The vaccine success is because they let the NHS deal with it.

Lets not forget the 'success' of Track and Trace ....cost so far £37billion.
Dyson's tax relief promise for machines that never materialised
£5.5billion spent to procure PPE....mainly from companies that had no experience of producing/procuring PPE and some of which were less than a year old. I've been accused of taking my information from obscure sources in the past. This is the Financial Times. I hope that's mainstream enough. www.ft.com/content/c0d439c8-18ac-499b-
8115-da2bc0f18567

I could go on but won't.

Boris can do no wrong. People like him so they're stupid enough to vote for him. As previously stated the general public do not care enough about politics. As long as everything is hunky dory in their little world then that's ok. Thatcher created this I'm alright Jack attitude and sod everyone else. It's deplorable in my view. Are we ever going to get a government that's not corrupt when this apathy prevails? I think not. When I think how everyone got extremely angry and passionate about that football super league last week it makes my blood boil. If only people would get so worked up about the current state of affairs perhaps we'd get somewhere.

Amanda Milling MP who was featured in the news article condemning and criticising Kier Starmer for holding up wallpaper represents a constituency where you can buy a house for under what Boris Johnson has spent on the refurbishment of the Downing Street flat.

nanna8

He is a ‘character’ , not bland and boring. Similar to Trump in that way. Probably most would think better the devil you know plus I am not sure if there is a viable alternative but we don’t hear much here so I may be wrong. All we hear here is about the Americans or the Chinese, and recently India. The rest of the world might as well not exist

What kind of “character” ?

He is a ‘character’ , not bland and boring. Similar to Trump in that way. Probably most would think better the devil you know plus I am not sure if there is a viable alternative but we don’t hear much here so I may be wrong. All we hear here is about the Americans or the Chinese, and recently India. The rest of the world might as well not exist

I thought that was funny. He also destroyed Johnson in PMQ s the other day.

BlueBelle your post just made my day!

I am not a Boris fan, but neither am I a fan of Keir Starmer who is pictured this morning in a wallpaper shop, holding a roll of wallpaper. If this is the best that the opposition can come up with so close to the local elections, I despair. I did have high hopes of KP.

Depends on the poll, the size of the sample and the questions asked. If asked who do you think is the best person for PM, Johnson or Starmer, you may well respond it is the former. This could just mean that Johnson is more popular than Starmer.

Anyone who says they ‘like’ Johnson is falling for his lies just the same as those poor foolish women who send money to ‘’lovers’ in other lands

Hyperbolic nonsense BlueBelle. I had to stop right there.
What rot!

Just shows what a nasty,, devious,, money grabbing, racist country this has become, one rule for them one rule for everyone else How.anyone could vote for a government of toffee noses who are hell bent on ruining U.K. (well they ve done that already)
Anyone who says they ‘like’ Johnson is falling for his lies just the same as those poor foolish women who send money to ‘’lovers’ in other lands
He constantly breaks the law he has his own laws just like Trump He lies, he cheats, he will do anything to help himself, he’s been fired from jobs for lying, his track record with women and children is abysmal (just like Trump) but he has found a way of winning women over by seeming to be bumbling and in need iof care ( hence the oops I can’t do my own hair or tie my own shoe laces I m just a poor misunderstood man)
It’s a bloody panto mine he’s the dame and Cummins is the evil pixie popping up like the grim reaper

I m so surprised that some normal, nice people are so easily taken in ....unbelievable

A PM isn’t suppose to be likeable they are suppose to be capable, strong and clear and above any kind of gossip he fits NONE of that criteria

Urmstongran

Maybe that’s why I like ‘Chat’ better than ‘News & Politics*. It’s not quite so much like stepping into the dragon’s den! It’s more like real life, chatting with friends around a bar table in the sunshine. Yes, not anything like as factual but certainly more pleasant (I won’t say kind Galaxy so not to annoy you!).

Just to be clear do you not want anyone to oppose your views ?

The vaccine roll out has been marvellous I Agree largely due to NHs and an army of wonderful volunteers . I’m glad Boris opposed the super league.

However I still think he and Hancock made a lot of mistakes in their handling of Covid. I still think Boris is lazy and dishonest.

I quite like Lisa Nandy but she’s showing signs of picking up on petty stuff unfortunately. Dare I say the word ‘woke’?! Ouch, in anticipation.

You like the image he portrays which is a different thing entirely

It helps. But to be honest the line up of the Opposition bench seems pretty uninspiring so it’s probably a combination of factors Galaxy.

Indeed, alegrias, but many people vehemently argued against the appointment at the time, didn’t they?

I can’t help that I find his positivity endearing Alegrias. He does have charisma. Bluddy annoying for some on here that a lot of voters (possibly some in the populace of lesser intelligence who don’t engage with all the facts, figures and links) think that way as well. Ah well. Every vote counts.

You like the image he portrays which is a different thing entirely.

Well said Oops ?
It’s what most of us think. I know we get shot down for saying it though!

There you go. You like him. He's the PM, it doesn't matter if you like him or not. He's meant to be running the country, not running in a popularity contest.

Maybe that’s why I like ‘Chat’ better than ‘News & Politics*. It’s not quite so much like stepping into the dragon’s den! It’s more like real life, chatting with friends around a bar table in the sunshine. Yes, not anything like as factual but certainly more pleasant (I won’t say kind Galaxy so not to annoy you!).

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.

Why was it courageous to appoint a successful venture capitalist with qualifications in the subject and contacts across the whole industry?

Common sense I'd have said. The right choice.

Read the link that suzie posted somewhere else and learn that once she was appointed they all got out of the way and let her and her team get on with it.

suziewoozie, I think Tony Blair can give him a run for his money in the immorality stakes. ?Bernie Ecclestone and the labour party’s extra million? The Iraq war?