October 8th 2024.
As we look to the future, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has shared his thoughts on what could have been a historic victory for the Conservatives in the 2024 General Election if he had remained in charge. In a somewhat ironic choice of words, he told Sky News that he would have bet on himself to lead the party to success. With a potential 19-year stretch in power, it would have been the longest reign for a single party in 200 years. However, as we all know, things did not go as planned for the Tories, and they suffered a disappointing defeat, resulting in fewer MPs in parliament than ever before.
Johnson didn't hold back in his criticism of the party leadership, claiming they made a mistake in the lead-up to the election. He firmly believes that if he had stayed in office, a victory in 2024 would have been within grasp. He pointed out that his opponent, Keir Starmer, wasn't exactly setting the world on fire, and the Reform party was not a significant threat. He also reminded us of his impressive victory in the London mayoral race, despite being 15 points behind in the polls nationally.
Since his resignation as Prime Minister in 2022, following a series of scandals, including Partygate, Johnson has refused to rule out a return to the frontlines of politics. He even stepped down as an MP in June of last year after an investigation into Partygate found him guilty of misleading the House of Commons about gatherings held in Downing Street during lockdown. In his recently released book, Johnson expresses regret for the "grovelling apologies" he made at the beginning of the Partygate scandal.
But Johnson has not been sitting idle since leaving office. He has been hard at work writing his 730-page memoir, aptly titled "Unleashed," which will hit shelves later this week. In a recent interview on LBC, he took the opportunity to criticize Starmer for accepting freebies from his friends, despite having donors pay for his wedding and family's accommodation.
Starmer has faced immense pressure over various donations, including clothing, glasses, and tickets, since becoming the leader of the Labour party. The controversy reached its peak when it was revealed that top donor Lord Waheed Alli was given a pass to enter Downing Street after the election. Last week, Starmer announced that he had paid back over £6,000 in gifts and hospitality since taking office in July.
During the interview, Johnson didn't hold back in his criticism of his successor, calling his actions "greedy" and "corrupt." He questioned why Starmer continues to wear the glasses given to him as a gift, stating that he can't see the mess he's making of things.
In contrast, Johnson himself received a generous donation of £23,853 from his friends Lord Anthony and Lady Carole Bamford in July 2022. The donation covered the cost of hiring a marquee and ice cream van for his wedding to his wife, Carrie. The Bamfords also provided Johnson's family with accommodation worth tens of thousands of pounds on multiple occasions in 2022 and 2023.
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