It’s a big week for Boris Johnson as he prepares to give evidence before the Privileges Committee next Wednesday. So it will have been to some relief tonight that he easily won re-adoption as the candidate for the Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat which he currently represents in parliament. The association have now released the following statement:
Tonight the Uxbridge & South Ruislip selection committee re-adopted Boris Johnson as our parliamentary candidate. We look forward to continuing to work alongside him to deliver for the residents and communities within the constituency, where he has strong connections and involvement. His commitment to deliver a new Hillingdon Hospital for Uxbridge & South Ruislip residents remains at the forefront of his work as our local MP.
There had been some speculation that Johnson intended to do the ‘chicken run’ and switch seats for a safer one as his constituency has a Tory majority of just 7,210. Pollster Britain Elects forecasts Labour to win the seat next time with 50.5 per cent of the vote, compared to the Tories on just 35.4 per cent – down 17 per cent on last time.
Two of those safer seats mooted include Johnson’s old patch of Henley, which boasts a majority of 14,053, and Derbyshire Dale which is represented by his supporter Sarah Dines, who triumphed in 2019 by 17,381 votes. Dines however strongly denied such reports while the Henley incumbent John Howell has shown little willingness to quit his berth. Given the circumstances, perhaps Johnson will be glad to take the bird in the hand rather than two in the bush.
Now he’s just got to make it through that Privileges Committee investigation and hopefully avoid a ten-day suspension and possible by-election. Good luck Boris…
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