Boris will never regain his election winning magic

Even as the partygate stories continue to mount, some of Boris’s defenders still leap to his defence. This dwindling group of supporters believe the campaign to oust Boris is orchestrated by the PM’s enemies who have an axe to grind. Well, I worked on the Brexit campaign, played a part in helping Boris secure the leadership of the Conservative party and have been one of his staunchest supporters – until now.

Make no mistake: I am – or was – a big fan of the Prime Minister. Boris’s stellar achievements in getting Brexit done and delivering the UK’s world-leading vaccination programme cannot be taken away. When voters handed him a landslide majority in December 2019, the public knew Boris was disorganised and economic with the truth. But the image of the Queen adhering to Covid restrictions and sitting alone in St George’s Chapel grieving for her departed consort, as Number 10 was dancing the night away, symbolises why his magic bond with the public is now damaged beyond repair.