Earlier this week Lib Dem sources told The Telegraph that Boris Johnson’s recent Peppa Pig gaffe, below, which saw him lose his speech notes and appear to speak at random about the animation at a CBI event, had “cut through on the doorstep”, along with the Conservatives plans to make changes to the subsidy payments of farmers.
Throughout the campaign Sir Ed visited the constituency 10 times, while his party produced eye-catching election leaflets contrasting a picture of a tearful pensioner (“How she spent last Christmas”) with a grinning Boris Johnson against a background of clinking wine glasses (“How Boris spent last Christmas”). The last time Mr Johnson visited the seat was on Dec 3, almost two weeks ago.
‘Referendum’ on Boris Johnson’s leadership
Responding to the result, Oliver Dowden, the Conservative Party chairman, said that the voters in North Shropshire had given the Tories a “kicking”.
“Voters in North Shropshire were fed up. I think they wanted to send us a message and I want to say as chairman of the Conservative Party we’ve heard that loud and clear,” he told Sky News. “We need to get on with delivering the job and that’s precisely what we’re doing.”
He insisted nevertheless that the Prime Minister was still an “electoral asset” for the Tories. “Just take the three really big calls we’ve faced. Get Brexit done: he’s delivered on it. We’ve delivered the fastest booster programme in the world twice over and we’ve seen the economy through this terrible period, with unemployment lower than when we entered.”
Yet Sir Roger Gale, the Tory MP, said that the defeat should be seen as a “referendum” on Mr Johnson’s premiership.
Asked why the Tories lost, he told the Today programme: “Because the electorate wanted to send a very clear message to Downing Street that they were dissatisfied with the management of this Government.
“I think this has to be seen as a referendum on the Prime Minister’s performance and I think that the Prime Minister is now in ‘last orders’ time.
“Two strikes already, one earlier this week in the vote in the Commons and now this. One more strike and he’s out.”
