What do the British think of their Prime Minister? Has he, so far, managed the pandemic coronavirus crisis rather well or do they already judge its catastrophic results, the United Kingdom counting more than 27,000 deaths on Friday 1er may ? It is all the more difficult to answer this question since Boris Johnson was absent from Downing Street for almost a month, having fallen seriously ill from Covid-19 in early April (he spent a week in hospital, three of which nights in intensive care).
However, it seems to believe the polls published in recent days, that it retains an advantageous popularity. Public opinion has not lost confidence in its government. According to the YouGov Institute, 60% of those polled believe that it had "fairly well" or "very well" managed the crisis as of April 24 (61%, according to Ipsos). British adherence to its containment policy decreed on March 23 also remains very high, although the government has not yet released it as of 1er May, an articulated strategy of deconfinement.
Also according to YouGov, only 32% of those polled on April 27 demanded a deconfinement plan "now". Protest movements remain anecdotal and the British continue to support the official slogan "Stay at home, save lives, protect the NHS" ("Stay at home, save lives, protect the NHS" (the national health system) ”), Applauding the“ essential workers ”every Thursday evening at 8 pm.
Finally, according to YouGov, 46% of those polled estimated on April 20 that Boris Johnson remained a good prime minister, against only 22% who would prefer to see his post occupied by Keir Starmer, the brand new leader of Labor, the main opposition party to the Conservatives . The ex-lawyer nevertheless succeeded in his first media steps, appearing as posed and pragmatic as Jeremy Corbyn, his predecessor, was radical and vehement.
Government deemed "sleepwalker"
The discrepancy with the critics of the media, including the "friendly" press, is striking. The Times, the big conservative newspaper, published a devastating investigation on April 19, devoted to "38 days" lost by a tried government "Sleepwalker", accusing Boris Johnson of having missed, in early 2020, five consecutive crisis meetings devoted to the coronavirus. The Daily Mail leads the sling against the lack of protective equipment for caregivers. A "Fiasco", according to very right-handed Telegraph.
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