Johnson's Lies & Cowardice Are Turning The Tide For Labour - Even With Tories
The carefully selected 'independent polls' trotted out by the mainstream media may say one thing, but the actual experience of canvassers across the country tells quite a different story - Boris Johnson's lies and cowardice are losing him voters in droves, and many are switching to Labour.
Johnson has refused to face an interview from the most Tory of Tory broadcasters, the BBC's Andrew Neil, and even ducked out of one with the much-less-scary Julie Etchingham on ITV.
He has cancelled approaching a dozen public appearances in the last week or so, even claiming he did so 'on police advice' after a handful of protesters arrived with placards - a claim the local police denied.
Just this morning, he has bottled out of another public appearance in Bolton - a key Tory target - because of, yes, you guessed it, protesters...
For someone the pundits claim is 'popular' it's frankly astonishing that he is met with protests and abuse wherever he goes - while the 'unpopular' Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by thousands of supporters literally chanting his name. And the mainstream are trying to spin this lived experience that people can see with their own eyes - on social media of course, as the footage sure isn't making it onto the major news channels. Almost as if there was some kind of agenda...
But you really can't fool all of the people all of the time, and even dyed-in-the-wool Tory voters are starting to realise the emperor's new clothes are actually pretty threadbare...
In Tory Cheadle, Cheshire, a typical Conservative lady is embarrassed by her party:
"I've voted Conservative all my life, but I'm actually scared of what could happen if Boris Johnson wins. He's like a cartoon character - not someone you can trust to do the right thing for the country. I've been watching Jeremy Corbyn and I've been surprised - I don't agree with everything he says, but at least he acts like a grown up, a statesman, not some overgrown child"
"I've been really embarrassed at some of the things my party has done in this campaign, the lies and the dirty tricks. That isn't what Conservatives are supposed to be about. So this time, I think I'll be voting Labour"
In Tory Altrincham - a rare blot of blue in Labour Manchester, another Conservative supporter, and party member, is less than impressed by the antics of his party leader, who he is at pains to stress he didn't vote for:
"He's making us a laughing stock - he's supposed to be able to run the country and deal with the likes of Trump, but he's too scared to face a journalist, a Tory journalist, even! And he legs it whenever a few protesters turn up. And the lies, he just comes out with lies, even though it's obvious he'll be called out on them. It's embarrassing - I can't vote for that!"
In Monmouth, Wales, a video from lifelong Tory voter Kevin, who says he will be supporting his local Labour candidate Yvonne Murphy:
"I've been a lifelong Conservative voter, and even a member of the party. But I'm afraid, now, I'm totally disillusioned with the Conservative Party. The party has basically gone to pot, we've got a radical right-wing party now. So...I think the only way forward is to vote for Yvonne and have a refreshing new MP for Monmouth"
In Boris Johnson's own constituency of Uxbridge, a Labour canvasser reports:
"If I was Boris Johnson, I'd be really worried - we're seeing a fantastic response on the doorstep for Ali Milani. People have had enough of privileged rich boys telling them 'we know what's best' - if they know, why have they spent the last 10 years screwing up the country and driving people into poverty?"
"If they're that smart, we have to conclude that they did it because they wanted to - or because they didn't care, or because they're incompetent"
On social media, a simple search for 'lifelong Tory voter' throws up a whole raft of similar sentiments:
And with the Red Wave rolling out across the UK - thousands of canvassers hitting the streets this weekend and every day until the election; real people, having real conversations with real voters, not the scripted soundbites and tacky photo-ops favoured by Johnson's Tories, the tide could finally be turning in Labour's favour.