And then we'll get to Tiverton & Honiton. If the Tories are losing in both the red wall and the blue wall then backbench Tories will really start to get twitchy.

Let’s accept that those are ‘the things that the British people really care about’, for the sake of argument and because it is a reasonable enough list.

Let’s also acknowledge that there is a case for pragmatic exceptionalism. That if somebody can achieve something valuable and important we should consider turning a blind eye to their flaws and failings.

My concern is that Boris Johnson is not an especially capable leader, in fact I believe he is worse than useless.
Therefore, the importance of those issues is either irrelevant to the argument against the country being led by a lying, dishonourable law breaker who has laughingly betrayed the public trust or emphasises the need for his replacement by somebody conscientious, with relevant skills and understanding, and who actually cares about something other than themselves.

That is just ‘my concern’ and opinion. However, the only ways I can see to counter it are to say:

1. That Boris Johnson is a capable and well-intentioned leader, or
2. The role of PM doesn’t really matter, so we might as well have somebody who annoys the libtards doing the photo opps for the giggles, or
3. <insert nihilistic trope of your choosing>

'Mid term' election after 10 or so years in power you would expect to see a dip in popularity. It's a cycle that exists.

And that is a reasonable statement. What I would say to counter that is that there are many styles of leadership. Boris isn't great on detail, he likes bluster..... but maybe (I accept this is incendiary) he surrounds himself with good people.

That could work, and I accept he has managed to do it in other situations. For example, I understand that when he became editor of The Spectator, he quickly realised he wasn’t capable and got somebody who was to do the actual work of being editor while Johnson remained in place as a celebrity figurehead. Andrew Neil, when he became Chairman, didn’t see much value in that and got shot… but it worked for a bit.

Politics is different and Johnson seems to have taken a page out of The Dictator’s Handbook (a real and very interesting book. There’s a short video summary called The Rules for Rulers by CGP Grey that can be found online). He’s promoted mediocrities (I’m being kind in a few cases) and avoided adding talent to his Cabinet, to secure his position… and it has worked, because Tory MPs seem stumped by the question ‘who else is there?’ Where he’s brought in people of (admittedly uneven) talent from outside elected politics, such as Cummings and Stratton, it has pretty much ruined their reputations… if somebody is intelligent enough to do a good job they’re likely to be intelligent enough to see that being in Johnson’s orbit is like being stuck in a centrifuge containing a lot of manure.

Johnson has done a good job of securing his position, but that is his sole focus. His personal success is at the expense of the country’s because he doesn’t care about other people on any other terms than supporting his ambition. In some ways he is a pitiable figure, a person (Alex) who created a persona (Boris) as a shield against some of the unpleasantness of his early life, and was subsumed by it. When he goes, I might even have some sympathy. But his personal tragedy shouldn’t be allowed to become an ever greater national crisis.

Well, I finally agree with you, that Bojo is big on bluster (which is hot air) and poor on detail and you think this makes him a good leader ???
The best leaders are the opposite, great on detail and with vision.

As for surrounding himself with good people. Perhaps you could name a few ??

So the cover up for Lyin Boris continues a pace, what with the Met refusing to investigate most of his illegal parties, and the secret meetings with Sue Gray to sanitise her report



Then just on cue,

[urlhttps://news.sky.com/story/partygate-new-photos-appear-to-show-boris-johnson-toasting-colleague-at-downing-st-drinks-in-lockdown-12619868[/url

And yes Lyin Boris lied to Parliament about this one specifically

It's almost like someone on the inside is leaking this because they hate their boss so much isn't it.

Or they were thrown under the save big dog bus.

A picture which formed part of the police investigation. Words from the Met Police

Now desperate people on here accusing the police of not being independent, whatever next.

Then we have desperate people who forget that de Pfeffel said in Parliament that this didn’t even happen.

It’s a one second moment in time