Boris Johnson’s majority in “Red Wall” seats could be “wiped-out” at the next general election, new polling has revealed.
The Tories could lose as many as 36 out of the 45 “Red Wall” seats it won in last December’s General Election.
Voters said mishandlings around the coronavirus and Johnson’s decision to stand by Dominic Cummings following his lockdown-breaking trip to Durham have led to a ‘rethink’.
These Northern seats were snatched from Labour at last year’s election and are seen as key battleground constituencies for the next one, due in 2024.
The survey by JL Partners found Johnson has a slightly negative rating of -3pc in these constituencies while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer received +18%. Chancellor Rishi Sunak, on the other hand, enjoyed a rating of +33pc.
Other ministers are also polling badly. Home secretary Priti Patel scored a worrisome -34pc while Johnson’s former Vote Leave comrade Michael Gove received -28pc.
The prime minister’s former senior aide, Cummings, is wildly unpopular there, with a -50 per cent approval rating, beating all elected politicians who pollsters asked about.
Voters turning away from the Conservatives cited confusing messaging during the pandemic and Cummings’ trip to Barnard Castle as a reason for switching their vote, the poll, commissioned by Channel 4 News, found.
Others felt the Labour Party better represented their values and that the Tories were the party of the rich but trusted them on issues like the economy and defence.
The poll surveyed a representative sample of 500 voters from seats the Conservatives gained from Labour in the North, Midlands and Wales, between 19 November and 30 November. It has a margin of error of 4.3 per cent.
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