A British expert believes that ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson may return to the political leadership in the coming year. Rumors of a comeback would have to be treated with caution, said Mark Garnett from the University of Lancaster of the German Press Agency. But Johnson, who recently received high fees as a speaker, is still very popular with convinced conservatives.
“It doesn’t hurt Johnson’s earning potential that he’s seen as a budding executive,” Garnett said. “If the Conservative Party does particularly badly in the local elections in May, the rumors will get louder – and the temptation could just be too great for the impulsive politician Johnson to resist.”
Tories 2024 before a crushing defeat
At the same time, the political scientist and author pointed out that Johnson was extremely unpopular with voters in general. “The rationale for bringing him back so soon after his forced retirement rests almost entirely on his potential to win votes.” According to current polls, however, it is unlikely that the 58-year-old can save the Tories from a crushing defeat in the parliamentary elections planned for 2024.
Johnson resigned in July after several scandals under enormous pressure from the party. After his successor Liz Truss had to resign after just a few weeks, Johnson tried to make a comeback. Although, according to party information, he had secured enough votes for another candidacy, he surprisingly gave up. As a result, Rishi Sunak became the new party leader and then also the head of government. Expert Garnett was convinced that Johnson would have beaten the ex-Treasury Secretary in a direct duel because of his greater popularity at the party base.
