Boris Johnson’s Satisfaction Rating Among Conservatives Plummets

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) and Home Secretary Priti Patel during a visit to Surrey Police headquarters in Guildford, Surrey, England, on July 27, 2021. Yui Mok/PA

The satisfaction rating of Prime Minister Boris Johnson among the Conservative grassroots took a nosedive in July, barely clinging to positive territory, a new poll suggests.

In the latest monthly “Cabinet League Table“ poll by British blog ConservativeHome, the prime minister scored a satisfaction rating of a mere 3.4 points, 35.8 points lower than the previous month and 52.2 points lower than two months ago.

The result comes after Johnson reversed his previous position and is seeking mandatory vaccine passports in nightclubs and other crowded venues.

It also comes after the PM faced backlash for planning to avoid self-isolation by participating in a test-and-release pilot programme that isn’t available to the wider public and growing anger over a so-called “pingdemic” that has seen tens of thousands of people out of work after being “pinged” by the National Health Service’s (NHS) COVID-19 app as contacts of those testing positive for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

However, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak—who also planned to join the pilot programme before changing his mind—didn’t suffer the same loss as the prime minister.

Sunak lost 6.5 points in July but remained in second place in the league with a score of 74.1 points.

Johnson had already had a bad month in June, during which he saw the resignation of scandal-hit Health Secretary Matt Hancock and the Tories lost two by-elections.

This isn’t the first time Johnson’s rating has plunged. Last September, it dropped to -10.3 before picking back up.

July has also been a tough month for Home Secretary Priti Patel, who lost 20 points.

The home secretary is having a difficult relationship with the police force after she announced a pay freeze for officers whose salary is more than £24,000 ($33,300).

The Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents 130,000 police officers, said last month that it had lost confidence in Patel.

Her failure to stop illegal immigrants from crossing the English Channel may be another major factor in the decline in her rating.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss, who negotiates trade deals around the world, is top of the league table with a score of 88.6.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, scoring 71.3, remains in his previous position of third place.

Brexit minister Lord David Frost remained in fourth with a score of 68.9. He has recently requested to renegotiate parts of the Brexit deal, a popular move among some Brexit supporters who weren’t happy with the terms he had previously agreed to.

The new Health Secretary Sajid Javid scored 66.6 points, slightly lower than the previous month. Javid announced a 3 percent pay raise for the NHS.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson remains in unpopular territory, with a score of -44.1 points.