Boris Johnson Has No One Else to Blame Now
Former Labour voters in England's north and Midlands will ultimately provide the thumbs up or down on the prime minister's big Brexit project.
Can Johnson deliver for the Blue Wall?
Photo: Bloomberg
In 2019, Boris Johnson took power in Britain. In 2020, he took back control, leading his country out of the European Union. In the year to come, those voters who made it all possible will be expecting to see some of the benefits he promised. They will ultimately provide the thumbs up or down on Johnson’s big Brexit project and legacy.
Constituencies in England’s northern and Midlands regions — dubbed the Red Wall because of their former loyalty to the opposition Labour Party — did for Johnson in the December 2019 election what voters in places like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan did for Donald Trump in 2016. One year on, those English voters are hurting. The north has suffered more Covid-19 deaths than the rest of the U.K., and endured the pandemic’s devastating impact on education, mental health and employment.