Boats Keep Coming, Boris Looms Large & Big Truss Lead
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The Boats Keep Coming
Remainstream media prefer to avoid discussing the illegal migration crisis of course, but I think it is important to point out that this crisis continues on a massive scale.
A legacy of government talk and no action, a Rwanda policy discussed but not implemented after the ECHR’s intervention has meant that the number of people crossing from France on small boats is surging as we have seen year after year.
As you can see from the official figures below, between 1st August and 7th August alone, some 1,924 people on 44 boats came across via this route.
Despite these ridiculously high numbers, there has been little media coverage. That is scandalous when you consider that according to YouGov’s issues tracker, immigration and asylum is now the number two issue for Leavers and Conservatives behind only the economy.
Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak will need more than talk to stop this absurd situation from escalating even further.
If they don’t commit to leaving ECHR, it is likely that the boats will keep coming for years to come.
Johnson Looms Large
The next Conservative Leader will have quite an interesting internal dynamic to deal with: many Conservatives still prefer Boris Johnson.
This has come across in a few of the leadership hustings. Many Tory members are frustrated and angry with the way in which Boris was forced to resign.
And the latest Opinium research shows clearly that Conservative members actually still prefer Boris Johnson to either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss.
68% would rather Boris remain as PM than Sunak replace him. The pro-Boris figure is only slightly lower when it comes to the prospect of Truss taking over.
That will place immense pressure on whoever the next Prime Minister is. If they struggle and Conservative poll numbers decline in the run up to the next General Election, many Conservatives will be questioning why the party ditched Boris.
Labour certainly seem relieved that they won’t need to try and beat a party led by Johnson at the next election.
Truss By A Mile?
The latest research conducted this week also shows Liz Truss to have a considerable 22-point advantage over Rishi Sunak.
61% of Conservative members are backing Truss, according to Opinium’s latest survey.
It now looks like it would take something pretty special for Sunak to pull off an upset win.
Boris Johnson is a born leader and of course he does not do detail, that is for others who should have looked after him better. The country voted overwhelmingly for the Conservative Party at the last election with him as Prime Minister. Friends who vote Conservative, but are not members, say they feel disenfranchised by this process and I think they are right. I am still angry that he has been deposed by an ambitious City boy who now wants his job. I will vote for Liz Truss, not least because she and the other women she will promote might get a grip on this country. At least this election process has revealed some amazing female talent in the Party. Sunak is a snake.
I hope Boris will not be sniping at the new PM. So far as having him return I am personally in two minds. On one hand, we owe Boris an enormous debt for pushing through Brexit, albeit very flawed, vaccinations, and of course Ukraine. I can forgive locking down, which in hindsight has landed the world in a massive downturn. On the other hand, Boris seems to be chaotic, lacks planning and does not do detail. I have not perceived that Boris has grasped the opportunities of Brexit, and has the courage to deeply reform the NHS, immigration, NI protocol or housing. All we have heard are platitudes and tinkering at the edges. The Fiscal route under Boris and Rishi has also something Gordon Brown would have been proud of - a horrible socialist mess. On balance he should have gone in my view, and let us hope Liz can face up to the real mess we are in and sort it out.