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YouGov has also published polling suggesting that half of voters, including almost a third of Conservative supporters, believe that Boris Johnson did say he would rather see “bodies pile high” than order a third lockdown.
Do Britons think Boris Johnson said the controversial “let the bodies pile high” comment?
ALL BRITONS:
Probably did – 50%
Probably didn’t – 26%
CON VOTERS:
Probably did – 29%
Probably didn’t – 47%
LAB VOTERS:
Probably did – 80%
Probably didn’t – 9%https://t.co/qWIE5Kckw4 pic.twitter.com/bJUr7QRlrw
Before the recent scandals broke, Boris Johnson had a net favourability rating of -11
After, the PM has a rating of… -11
YouGov’s @PME_Politics looks at why public opinion seems to have shifted so little, despite high public awareness of the PM’s woeshttps://t.co/5EBGmVUpBs pic.twitter.com/puJe2hSpKx
So, why is vote intention not moving in the face of repeated negative news stories about the country’s prime minister? The answer could be as simple as the public expect nothing better. While there is certainly an amount of party-political framing going on, and a fair degree of uncertainty about what has actually happened, we already know that voters do not have very positive views about politics and politicians, and stories such as those dominating the news cycle this week do nothing to challenge that.
If the crisis deepens for Johnson and he finds himself facing potential charges and prosecution, this may well tip the balance. For now, however, the stories are certainly sticking in the minds of the public, but don’t appear to be changing them.
