An upbeat beginning for Boris’s new administration?
He is yet to complete his first full week in office but already it seems Boris Johnson has rejuvenated the Conservative Party.
He is yet to complete his first full week in office but already it seems Boris Johnson has rejuvenated the Conservative Party and given its members the readiness to move on from the relative disaster that was the outgoing administration.
The issue that will define Johnson’s premiership as it did his predecessor’s, is of course Brexit. Failure to deliver a withdrawal from the European Union by that crucial October 31st deadline could see a Johnson premiership over before it has truly begun; yet the presentiment around this administration is not just centred on an eagerness to deliver on the result of the 2016 referendum but an excitement to share in Boris’ post-Brexit vision.
After all, it is clearly not just the ardent Brexiteer who has gratitude for Boris Johnson’s can-do attitude. The ‘Back Boris’ campaign enjoyed support from all wings of the parliamentary party including both those who voted leave and those who voted remain in the referendum. Prior to the contest, It was widely known that the one they call ‘BoJo’ has always been well liked by the membership and this was borne out in the result with 66.4% of all those who voted, casting their votes for Boris.
Mr Johnson’s premiership started on Wednesday with a barnstorming speech outside Number 10 where the new Prime Minister spoke of a few of his key aims for the coming months and years. Starting with the 20,000 Police Officers he intends to recruit, fixing the crisis of social care, increasing funding for primary school students and finally delivering full-fibre broadband to all.
The second day of the Johnson premiership saw the Prime Minister’s first outing at the despatch box (in his new role),where viewers were treated to a somewhat comical castigation of the opposing front bench, the like of which, we had not witnessed since Michael Gove’s brilliant speech during the confidence debate in January.
In a speech in Manchester on Saturday, the Prime Minister revealed his intention to continue a project which has been largely ‘on hold’ for the duration of the previous administration. The Northern Powerhouse initiative which is largely credited to former Chancellor George Osborne, aims to revitalise productivity and boost economic growth by investing in new transport links and rendering the North of England a more appealing place in which to invest.
Conservative supporters have had little to cheer over the past three years with numerous disappointments. The loss of the Conservative majority in parliament in 2017 was a bitter pill to swallow, the failure of parliament to see us out of the European Union by that March 29th deadline was yet more painful and the embarrassing performance at the local elections in May which saw many good Conservative councillors lose their seats was (to say the least) disappointing. For the first time in a while, there is reason to be upbeat. As Mayor of London, Boris Johnson delivered on ambitious targets; now with the most challenging brief he is ever likely to tackle, can he deliver again?
