Soaring fuel prices could be lethal for Boris Johnson

As if Boris Johnson was not in enough political trouble already, the latest surge in oil prices is threatening to overwhelm the government. This week, petrol prices in some filling stations have crossed the symbolic threshold of £2 per litre. This would be a problem for any government, but, for a Conservative administration which owes its last election victory to the votes of relatively low-paid manual workers, it is an existential threat. 

People who rely on their cars to get to work face being priced out of the workplace. Decades of sky-high property prices – and high moving costs thanks especially to stamp duty – have changed the pattern of living and working. There are large numbers of voters who must drive long distances to reach their place of work. If you are a teacher, nurse, carer or factory worker, you have no option of working from home. Moreover, outside London, public transport is often of little use – and it is going to be deeply affected everywhere by strikes over the next few weeks.