Had things gone according to the worst fears of Number 10, the only talking point from the local elections would be how long Boris Johnson could survive as party leader. Indeed, had the Labour Party done as well as Tony Blair used to when John Major was premier, Johnson would probably be out by the end of next week.
But as poor as the Conservative performance has been, the clamour to get rid of their leader has not yet transpired. Certainly some bruised former Tory council leaders have called for him to go — the former leader of Wandsworth Council being among them — because Partygate and integrity were issues on the doorsteps and because they and voters don’t have much faith in Johnson to deal with the cost-of-living crisis.
