Will Boris Johnson return to “save” the Tories? | Election 2024 | The New Statesman

“There’s a movie going on in his head, and he’s the hero,” says David Gauke.
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As the conservatives face their worst election defeat in history, Hannah Barnes and George Eaton are joined by David Gauke - the former Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary under Theresa May - to find out what is going on behind the scenes in the Tory party.
They discuss the latest extraordinary polls which suggest the possibility of the Liberal Democrats forming the official opposition. And David Gauke shares his opinions of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who returned to the campaign trail briefly to endorse the Conservatives. Gauke suggests that Johnson could well return to politics after a Rishi Sunak defeat - “It has to be a scenario playing in his head”.
Read more: Will the Tories ever recover from this defeat? By David Gauke
www.newstatesman.com/comment/...
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The UK general election will take place on July 4, 2024 - and the New Statesman will be with you every step of the way. Our journalists including Hannah Barnes, Andrew Marr, Rachel Cunliffe, Freddie Hayward and Ben Walker will bring you analysis of the Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem, SNP, Green and Reform election campaigns as well as the best polling analysis and reaction from around the UK. The 2024 election will be the biggest shake-up of UK politics in years. Subscribe to the New Statesman on KZbin to stay informed.
Watch all the latest episodes of the New Statesman podcast here: • The New Statesman Podcast
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[@stephfoxwell4620]

The man the Tories themselves decided was unfit to govern.

[@j.x.x.r3645]

Only because he was unpopular and they only care about winning

[@kanedNunable]

@@j.x.x.r3645 so they wheel him out to garner support? lol.

[@user-rw5xx7ct8c]

Should be in jail.

[@vincentvangogh8092]

@@user-rw5xx7ct8c wait till starmer goes after him on russian interference

[@TheLucanicLord]

Yebbut he's a larf innit.

[@wivory81]

Johnson, with his lead role in the Brexit campaign, his lies, incompetence and lack of moral compass, will be the cause of the Labour landslide if it happens. The fact the Tories have wheeled this specimen out, with his usual unkempt, slept in a skip look, shows the sheer desperation to avert a political disaster. Hopefully, those who have been conned not once, but many times in the past by Johnson, will ignore his verbal crap, and vote for change.

[@bweresquirrel8279]

Have you noticed how much Johnson looks like Snow Miser from The Year without a Santa Claus?

[@palestinev3722]

😂😂😂

[@janelockwood347]

I fail to understand why they are shocked?! What have they achieved for the electorate- NOTHING

[@hukama6911]

Yea but, its worse than nothing

[@snowfiresunwind]

Exactly - it amazes me over the last 2 years that they just can't see it and have continued on as though nothing has gone wrong for them.

[@BeskeDagmar]

You work for 40 years to have $1m in your retirement meanwhile, some people are putting just $10k in a bit.. coin for just a few months, and now they are multi millionaires.

[@martinasantacroce9715]

As an investing enthusiast, I often wonder how top-level investors are able to become millionaires off investing.. I've been sitting on over $545K equity from a home sale, and I'm I'm not sure where to go from here. Is it a good time to buy into stocks, or do I wait for another opportunity?

[@BeskeDagmar]

I began investing in stocks earlier this year, and it is the best choice I've ever made. My portfolio is rounding up to almost a million and I have realized that when a stock makes it to the news, chances are you're quite late to the party, the idea is to get in early on blue chips before it becomes public. There are lots of life changing opportunities in the market and maximize it.

[@PozosTomberlin]

What opportunities are there in the market, and how do l profit from it?

[@BeskeDagmar]

You can make a lot of money from the market regardless of whether it strengthens or crashes. The key is to be well positioned.

[@Carlosk111]

I would really like to know how this actually works.

[@Scanini]

Imagine for one moment you had to bury your loved one during Covid and then you see the tories chanting Boris, Boris, Boris! like he's some sort of amazing leader, the man is a vile narcissist.

[@krispysox]

Boris Looks how most tories must feel.

[@kellypaws]

What? Rich?

[@alanrobinson2559]

Bring on the clowns A huge mistake , reminding the electorate of Tory sleaze and lies. Next , get Liz Truss out

[@nickd.6365]

They probably even considered exhuming Thatcher

[@SkeletonDrums1]

​@@nickd.6365Was going to say she'd still do a better job than Johnson and Truss, but then I remembered the Thatcher years! The Tories deserve everything they get tomorrow!

[@georgec7899]

A soiled Truss

[@palestinev3722]

​@nickd.6365 😂

[@davidclark1545]

@@SkeletonDrums1and so does the country.

[@coppershark1973]

One look at the state of Johnson and I'd be impressed if he is still alive in a year's time. LOOK AT HIM!

[@jasonuren3479]

If he can find his way out of the fridge first....

[@AWM2099]

It shocks me that Brois is not done with FOREVRER! How is he allowed to spew trash over and over and over again. Why is this guy allowed anywhere near TV, parliament, or sane people.... I abhore him from the bottom of my heart after what he has done to this country. Does BREXIT and COVID don't say it all!!!!! He should not be forgiven to what he did to the people who lost their loved ones, and could not even say good bye. 😢

[@elliottself3633]

To be fair, he isn’t anywhere near sane people - he was preaching to Tory activists

[@problemsolverthinktank859]

0 seats! I hope Lib Dem’s become the official opposition

[@Stephanie-wf6xr]

The Cons makes me feel sick, Boris makes me vomit😂😂

[@stuartivins7846]

Boris Johnson missed x6 COBRA Covid meetings so he could finish writing his book on Churchil for cash! FFlipsSake

[@ScruffyTubbles]

Hes not going to do that?

[@Zharkov1969A]

David G was my MP so it’s good to see him doing well. In my opinion the tories need to lose BADLY to cure themselves of this extreme right wing fixation.

[@lisakeell7343]

Sir Toolalot, the former Sir Kneelalot the man who cannot define a woman yet married to one - you trust him with safety of your daughters? He has already said he will give an amnesty to those guests in our hotels majority young men, that we are paying for, he has also said he will smash the gangs and work with France... er um right - so if Le Pen gets in I can see her welcoming the unpaying guests in France travelling across the channel and being escorted by the RNLI - the whole election is one con after another and I fear for any woman in our country - have you forgotten Bradford! All the money being thrown at illegal travellers is costing us our NHS being run in an efficient manner, the junior doctors a decent wage so they don't have to strike and we can get to see our GP's and have our specialist appointments. The next 4-5 years are going to be tough. Our land is going to houses, has anyone thought about how we feed ourselves if overseas in turmoil! VOTE WISELY FOLKS

[@Mike20216]

Absolutely right I’m no Tory but the country does need a decent sensible Tory party, sadly they have lost their minds over the last 10 years and have thrown out most of the intelligent competant talent, and David is certainly one of them

[@ScruffyTubbles]

Maybe this defeat has been engineered to do just that?

[@martinsnell72]

@@ScruffyTubblesengineering suggests an element of design, control and oversight. The Tories have completely lost the plot and consequently the control of steering wheel. IMHO, the Tories deserve to be out of power - or anywhere near Westminster - for a generation so that none of the current iteration is ever in contention for election again.

[@ScruffyTubbles]

@@martinsnell72 They may have deliberately intended to get rid of the right wing in this wy of course.

[@boydovens4180]

Is it a Plane , Is it a Bird , No its Party man , Flying in from his holidays .

[@tonyhilliam2407]

Trump likes Johnson and Farage, speaks volumes doesn’t it!!

[@GeistInTheMachine]

Maybe they can get positions in his cabinet when he becomes President again.

[@user-ol6rd7pl5t]

Trump likes whoever Putin tells him to like.

[@reuben8140]

@@user-ol6rd7pl5tI’m always amazed by that fantasy - the biggest narcissist ever is asking “how high”, sure 😂

[@wessexfox5197]

Ummm he doesn’t like Johnson, he rightly views him as a Bohemian Blairite liberal who completely messed up everything with his establishmentarian and authoritarian approach to lockdowns.

[@SlowhandGreg]

They've spent 14 years on infighting and will spend the next 5 years on infighting

[@thecrimsondragon9744]

Why isn’t he barred from politics for life? Are there no consequences for constantly lying and breaking pledges?

[@malakiblunt]

Nope.

[@profc9916]

...You get elected?

[@TheMightyP00tis]

Realistically Johnson has done nothing spectacularly wrong from a politicians perspective. They all lie and break promises.

[@davidclark1545]

All parties break their manifesto promises, wait until next week and see the back peddling from Starmer.

[@_surreal99]

The Return of the Jester King; to save the Circus from collapsing. How fitting.

[@stevedavy2878]

They need him, hes the only one who knows how to get the Circus tent back in the bag

[@bigblue6917]

The major difference between Johnson and Churchill is that Churchill would never have been partying while the Queen mourned her dead husband.

[@ScruffyTubbles]

Yes. I was very shocked at that.

[@Boghopper9999]

Well that and things like competence

[@col.hertford9855]

Churchill was originally a liberal.

[@goldboy150]

I’m sorry, I like David Gauke but his rationale that the Tories providing a strong opposition is the bulwark to the hard right is ludicrous. “We need a strong Tory party otherwise voices outside parliament might start saying “we hate this parliament, they’re out of touch…”” How isn’t all of that already happening with a Tory majority? I wish these one nationers like gauke and Rory Stewart would see the light already and realise that the health of politics would be best served with a Lib dem opposition pushing labour in a constructive way (not on culture wars) and a small rump of right wingers howling at the moon. The Tory party is rotten because it lost its ability some time ago to keep the wing nuts in their box - and its lead to ukip and brexit and reform and the Tory party itself becoming hostage to hard right politics. If the one nationers stopped clinging to this misguided notion that if only the voters were nice the Tory party could return to sensibility. It isn’t going to happen. Rather, they should support a sensible, centrist lib dem opposition that will resist labour’s statist inclinations but work constructively to better the lot of the people of the UK and hopefully help to start to fix the myriad issues.

[@user-zc4yd9ss7h]

Of course he will return. He's unfit to govern, so perfect for them.

[@vincentvangogh8092]

I dont think the tories realise how bad a position they are in, this guy thinks they can reinvent themselves and stroll back in, aint happening

[@user-ol6rd7pl5t]

The Tories scraping the bottom of the barrel in a last ditched attempt yo cling onto power. Grab your coat Boris, the party's over.

[@maccagrabme]

This is what happens when you allow the Whisky Echo Brigade to dictate your policies. Clueless and toxic.

[@davidwhite8045]

The biggest problem with the recent parliament was the prime minister question time, a question is asked and it’s rarely answered and it all seemed BS

[@williamhenry8914]

Ahh yes, bring back the King of Lies and Sleaze. That will clear up their reputation for lies and sleaze.

[@qopple]

crooks

[@maccagrabme]

Went W3F mad

[@Rick-xp5sy]

Let Boris back , he’s the best thing to happen for the opposition 👍 lockdown parties will never be forgotten!

[@Markyparky56]

I appreciate how measured and considered these discussions are. They're not overblown or outlandish, no great appeals to emotion. It's nice to see thoughtful conversations can still exist in this day and age.

[@theunwantedcritic]

The guy is like a St. Bernard who took to drinking .

[@oitoitoi1]

I've never really understood why labour and lib dems are seperate parties either tbh. A leftover from a century ago, that handed tories dozens of election victories. Priti Patel and Badenoch don't have the intellectual capacity to be leader, Patel made a fool of herself during the covid briefings, and committed a form of treason in Israel. Badenoch is a complete disaster with the non-client press and similar to the other 2 is entirely reliant on confected culture wars. Any of those 3 as leader would guarantee labour in for at least a decade. If they take in farage it would cement that, for every 1 voter he gets he highly motivates 5 to vote against him, he is the most despised man in the country by far, and in 5 years even more of the pro-brexit demographic will have died off.

[@Boghopper9999]

Because of Corbyn type figures; just like the centre right don't want Faragists, centre left don't want Corbynistas

[@sugarfree1894]

Question from the future: what are "Tories"?

[@TheHoveHeretic]

More likely posts containing "don't be a tory" or "that's a totally tory idea" will cause pearl clutchers to flag a "profanity" and calling someone "a farage" would be ways worse than calling farage a cnut.

[@marystringfellow8185]

People will want the conservative party back. They will be thinking we made a big mistake with labour!

[@TheHoveHeretic]

​@@marystringfellow8185I prefer my water without faeces, my NHS working - with folk able to get prompt treatment, roads not so neglected that capital investment budgets need to be raided to undertake routine maintenance, schools not ready to collapse on top of our children, energy prices not dictated by the insatiable greed of rapacious capitalists and insane despots, decent affordable public transport, a sustainable national housing policy, the respect of our international friends as a trustworthy ally and trading partner and a government which doesn't treat the most vulnerable in our society with cynical, calculated cruelty. I want a government with some semblance of a forward gear. I want our young to have some faith in possibilities for their own futures. That all sounds as far from the record of the feral dogmatists who've systematically wrecked our nation over the past 14 increasingly hellish years as it's possible to imagine.

[@stevedavy2878]

They went the way of the Whigs and the Dodo

[@ArtyFactual_Intelligence]

Ask any Scot.... Toories

[@christophermarshall527]

Boris is like the grim reaper, he can only make the Tory's current disaster, even more disastrous..

[@Yui-ip7cd]

Boris , you can only save the Broom factory , that’s what your hair looks like.

[@saturdayplayer2492]

What an insane thought. He's responsible for much of the chaos and desperation in the country. Couldn't run a raffle.

[@wizardwombat3770]

Eyy, I'm glad they uploaded a longer version of the podcast! They listen!

[@surebow]

The Tories are beyond redemption.

[@Afterthoughtbtw]

The Lib Dems presenting themselves as a party of government was one of the big reasons they suffered such a bad defeat last time (as was running on cancelling Brexit, to be fair). They were acting above their station. The Lib Dems need to first get enough seats to be seen as a serious party before they can put on that big boy and big girl clothing. If they do particularly well tomorrow and there's not much space in MPs between them and the Tories, then maybe they can start transitioning. They've been running this campaign really well, I think: far better than trying to run before you can walk.

[@onenote6619]

Will Liz Truss return to 'save' the Tories?

[@chelloandra]

Tories have not held the center since brexshit latest

[@somthingbrutal]

after their 14 years of mismanagement, incompetence and outright corruption they do not deserve any seats

[@SK-sm9mn]

Why would that absolute joke of a man help the Tories’ fate. Johnson is appalling

[@IbnBahtuta]

Boris the liar has a huge following amongst our nations liars, birds of a feather, and all that.

[@stevejames6674]

Interesting to listen to David Gauke. May I suggest a change of name for your podcast to The New Spectator

[@markholmes2357]

Just want to hear from people who only share your views?

[@PoliticalViews-d8f]

We all are often critical of most of our politicians. People like David G are very sensible decent people but couldn't continue the service which is a real shame.

[@paulmott5059]

The tories have self destructed as a party, the safe pair of hands has long gone. Unfortunately whoever takes charge has an almost impossible job to reconstruct the damage.

[@rickykilby4672]

Lets face it the tories are finished,just a question of how bad the defeat is,good riddance.

[@DanielBarber-mo2en]

Its self inflicted , thats why they were so out of touch with the real world on the ground. They still made money though.

[@porphura4448]

I don't get this argument that there needs to be a right of Labour in opposition. The centre is only the current centre. Labour can easily represent the centre right position relative to the opposition.

[@epluribusu9430]

Boris KGB Johnson. The Conservative savior. Yeessssss.... $$$$.

[@albertbrammer9263]

What Gauke is suggesting is why FPP instead of PR makes our politics stupid for democracy.

[@Oliver-l1c]

Seeing Nadine Doris gushing about Boris on Channel 4 last night, I can see the Tories bringing him back.

[@armphidiic2609]

From the US looking across the pond, Ed Davie (not sure of spelling) is exactly right about only getting platformed if you're outrageous. I can't see any other reason for why British media is so obsessed with covering Farage and Reform UK over parties. They're not players, they're not even a chance of bring in government or the opposition, but they seem to get pushed due to them saying outlandish things driving clicks/views.

[@paulgibbon5991]

Bear in mind a lot of Farage's online supporters have writing habits that are curiously similar to the Rusbots who swarm Ukraine or Trump-related news.

[@pswestport]

Johnson should be in prison

[@gracemwende8054]

Thank you very much

[@zeruchofficial]

Asking Boris to save the Tories is like asking Bill Clinton to save the humidor industry.

[@kellypaws]

To be fair, quite a few circuses have been saved by the clowns. So....

[@profc9916]

Listening to a New Statesman journalist quoting Le Mis is like listening to Rishi Sunak describe the interior of a Liddle he once visited

[@Captain_Aardvark]

Nearly every video appertaining to the election discusses what's happening "on the doorstep" - but I surely can't be the only one who hasn't had a single candidate or canvasser knock on their door despite it being such an important election. And I have been in! I haven't taken my neighbour's position that if they can't be bothered to knock on her door then she can't be bothered to vote, but I was surprised that not even one showed up.

[@lesterfalcon1350]

Imagine if the Tories had to form a coalition just to form and opposition.

[@justinkindleysides1519]

If the Conservatives get any more than 3 seats it will be a true tragedy for the country.

[@mrmarmellow563]

#HYPE MR KENNEDY!!

[@martinbond5166]

David Gauk is worried about the Tories having an effective voice in Parliament, but I'm sure our mass media will correct for that.

[@RobMorrison-vf2is]

The main problem not only with Conservative politicians but Conservative voters as well is a lot of them a morally corrupt. At one time politicians would do the decent thing and resign for a lot less than what's happened in the party since 2015. There are too many politicians and who are selfish and voters that will put up with deplorable behaviour from our representatives. It shows they neither have morals nor principles.

[@Eltener123]

What's the point in a new opposition party if they just turn into one nation Tories?

[@Ali-xj3oq]

Good bye Rishi

[@keewng]

Sorry Bojo is history, Bojo has passed sell by date, Bojo appearance yesterday had betrayed his many ex supporters, Boris can't be trusted.

[@pip1723]

They've dragged the Eaton mess out ....that should cost them a few more seats.really give us some credit are they getting liz truss out next ?

[@rmorgan7]

He just looks like a crazy person. It's hard to believe we elected him as PM less than 5 years ago. Tomorrow, retribution!

[@Alcagaur1]

He will take credit for any seat the Tories don't lose.

[@kevinpugh3291]

He would have to win a "safe seat".

[@cardwitch91]

Indeed, and with Labour, the LibDems, Reform and even the Greens out for blood, what seat is truly safe these days? The next election the Tories will actually have to work hard for their seats, and Boris Johnson *hates* work 😅

[@TheMarlinspike]

Do they have any of those left now?

[@RoofLight00]

lol, he couldn’t save his not inconsiderable arse from his elbow. 😂

[@jeremyharcup]

What happens if 2 parties tie for second place? Does one need to form a coalition in opposition?

[@stekeeley1936]

Who's going to provide an opposition?...who the hell cares...???

[@jonathanharms7589]

What's wrong with a centerist Lib-Dem opposition as opposed to a fringe fascist catastrophe like the Conservatives have become!

[@peterdollins3610]

My guess is upper Tory end 41 to 48 seats, lower end 3 to 23 seats.

[@KevinMole-cj3kl]

Yeah make him leader the tories will never get back in he is loathed

[@TouringTony]

There are more Labour / LD head to head than you state Hitchin is a fight between Labour and LD even though it's a Tory seat

[@markbriten6999]

Put simply NO. bit more complicated NO FUCKING CHANCE. All any other party has to do is say " he partied your loved ones died alone"!

[@buzzukfiftythree]

Mush as I hope for a large Labour majority, it will cause problems for Starmer, especially if a significant number of his new MPs are on the left of the party. E.g. there is no manifesto commitment to removing the two-child cap on Child Benefit, yet it would help to reduce child poverty. Starmer will need to reconsider on that.

[@annepoitrineau5650]

Suella wants to appear prescient and wise. She is claiming the narrative because she wants to lead lol.

[@GG-hu9dn]

Not a chance!!

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

Johnson is like food it's illegal to sell. So rotten that he will actually cause harm.

[@domm1341]

I wonder what happens if there is a tie for 2nd place? Who then forms HM Opposition??

[@tonyaustin4472]

David makes a very thoughtful point about the Liberals positioning themselves as being ‘to the left of Labour’. I/We have always been snippily thinking of them as ‘Tories with a conscience’, whereas now they seem to be re-acting to Labour taking the centre ground by abandoning their previous appearance and dressing up as nice safe Lefties! They always were a tricky lot to deal with in both local and national elections as lots of us Labour activists remember….treacherous to a t:-) I would have thought, like David again alluded to, that they shouldn’t waste their time trying to be ‘safe Lefties’ but revert to being ‘safe Righties’ or as I said earlier, Conservatives with a conscience. There is a danger for them there though. Nick Clegg is not remembered kindly after his 180 degree turnaround on Tuition Fees.

[@djtomoy]

Why not!! He was love by all!! And he never really did anything wrong, he was hung out to dry by the liberals.

[@annepoitrineau5650]

The party of Charles Kennedy is an excellent idea!! I could have voted Kennedy. Anyway, Greens for me now and I hope to get my 5 a day from tomorrow!

[@anthonymichaelwilson8401]

Boris needs to comb his hair lol 😂

[@myriaddsystems]

Hope the Tories wind up with fewer seats than the Lib Dems

[@MrDeadhead1952]

There's a weird symmetry going on here, the last time a party got near this size of the potential majority was 1832 at the time of the Great Reform Bill which incidentally also marks the origin of the Conservative Party. Could this mark their demise?

[@accomuk]

Just as an aside, has anyone considered with Starmer ex CPS Head as PM, Boris no longer has protection from Criminal Investigation? Boris next TV appearance could be of him being thrown in the back of a Police Van as Starmer arrives at No10 on Friday Morning?

[@jonathanharms7589]

When have you or ANY media EVER platformed the Lib Dems? Or the Greens?

[@BiggusDiggusable]

Gaulke is hilarious. " I've always thought that the lib Dems would do much better if they were actually Tories 😂😂😂"

[@JStankXPlays]

He wouldn't last longer than the head of lettuce

[@gracemwende8054]

Yes

[@MarvinofMars]

Hopefully Alliance party in Northern Ireland wins 3-4 seats they will pack in with Lib Dem 100% as they are full partners. Great to see the Tories pushed to 3rd place.

[@jamesmorton7852]

The answer is of course, no.

[@kenbushnell4793]

Boris Johnson is only a reminder of why people shouldn’t vote tory ever again.

[@peterwill7116]

Yeah right… of course he will…🙄

[@dainfarley9057]

It’s harry enfield isn’t it?

[@buzzukfiftythree]

It’s clear the Tories haven’t learned the lessons of the past few years. Bringing Boris back ‘on board’ is just plain ridiculous. He’s a busted flush. He’ll be popular with diehard Tory members and voters, but he is a hate figure to most voters. The Tories are now getting really desperate.