Snap poll on the Partygate scandal
Two-thirds do not accept the PM’s apology today in the Commons – Savanta ComRes Snap Poll
• Two-thirds of UK adults say they do not accept Boris Johnson’s apology in the HoC earlier today (65%). Three in ten say they do (29%).
• Proportion who do not accept apology includes 44% 2019 Con voters
• Seven in ten say the PM should resign (69%), including 47% 2019 Con voters
• Seven in ten say Johnson and his Govt cannot be trusted to deliver for the British people (68%)
• Eight in ten want PM to publish the full report (80%), while two-thirds do not think the PM cares about hurt caused (66%)
• Almost half say partygate scandal has made them ashamed to be British (47%)
Two-thirds of UK adults say they do not accept Boris Johnson’s apology today in the House of Commons (65%), with seven in ten saying he should resign (69%) according to new snap poll by Savanta ComRes, conducted after the Prime Minister’s statement today in the Commons.
The proportion who say they do not accept the PM’s apology in relation to the part of the Sue Gray report that were released today includes over two in five Conservative voters (44%).
Seven in ten say the PM should resign (69%), with just three in ten saying that he should not (29%).
And, in response to Johnson’s statement to the Commons that the public expect him and his government to “get on with the job”, seven in ten UK adults say that they cannot be trusted to do this (68%), with half of his own voters also sceptical (49%). Just over a quarter of the public say the PM and his government can be trusted to deliver (27%).
In response to a question from an MP this afternoon, the PM said that he “cares deeply about the hurt that has been caused across the country.” However, Brits appear unconvinced, with two-thirds believing that Johnson does not care about the hurt caused (66%). This view is shared by 45% of Conservative voters.
Likewise, the same proportion believe that on the whole throughout partygate, Johnson has told more lies than truths (65%), including a quarter who say he has only told lies throughout the scandal (26%).
With many left disappointed with the highly redacted version of Sue Gray’s report that was released earlier today, eight in ten want the PM to publish the unredacted report in full as soon as it is available (80%).
And, while the PM may be hoping that the country will accept his apology and begin to move on, almost half of Brits say the partygate saga has made them ashamed to be British (47%), a view particularly felt amongst those aged 18-34 where over half say this (53%).
Commenting on the findings, Chris Hopkins, Political Research Director at Savanta ComRes says,
“In many respects, the PM’s statement in the Commons today felt like groundhog day, with Johnson choosing to answer questions with a plea to wait for the Met’s investigation into the partygate scandal to conclude. However, the mood was undoubtedly more sour than in previous weeks, with a number of his own MP’s not holding back in their anger at the alleged conduct of No.10.
And, it seems the public are equally unforgiving in their assessment of the Prime Minister. Not only does a significant majority want him to resign, but in direct response to Johnson’s apology and a direct assertion that the country would rather he and his government focus on other things, most say that don’t accept it and simply don’t trust him to deliver. But, with the PM showing no intention of stepping aside, and with the Met’s investigation reportedly taking months to conclude, it’s likely that we’ll see Johnson stagger on a while longer.”
Date Published: 31/01/2021
Methodology
Savanta ComRes interviewed 1,128 UK adults aged 18+ online on 31st Jan 2022, after the PM’s statement. Data were weighted to be representative of all UK adults by age, sex, region and SEG. Savanta ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.