London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Aug 28, 2025

‘I think he’s a disaster’: Bury voters weigh in on Boris Johnson

‘I think he’s a disaster’: Bury voters weigh in on Boris Johnson

Greater Manchester town that is home to most marginal constituency in Great Britain appears to have lost faith in PM

As the Conservative politician with the most marginal constituency in Great Britain, James Daly ought to have an especially keen interest in the leadership of his party. But on Monday morning, the MP for Bury North in Greater Manchester insisted the no-confidence vote “came as something of a surprise”.

So much so that he had set off to campaign in the Wakefield byelection when he heard the news and had to promptly turn around to get the next train to London.

Having been elected in 2019 with a majority of just 105 votes over Labour, Daly’s position is particularly precarious. But he said he was sticking with Boris Johnson because his government had “delivered millions of pounds of investment for Bury”, with behind-the-scenes suggestions of more to come from the shared prosperity fund.

He was not convinced Johnson’s rivals would do the same: “It may be that I’m just Billy No Mates, but nobody’s come to me and set out their vision for the north of England or for Greater Manchester, and said: ‘If you vote for me, then we are going to ensure this still happens.’”

Many of those who voted for Daly see things differently. Fresh from her tai chi class in the village of Greenmount, Mary Farrington’s meditative zen was instantly spoiled by talk of the prime minister.

Bury North, where the Tory incumbent was elected with a majority of just 105 votes over Labour.


“I did vote for him, but I think he’s a disaster,” said the retired medical secretary. “He may be a very intelligent, funny man, but he’s not a good prime minister. It’s very disillusioning. You can’t believe anything and it’s spread to the rest of the party.” She would not be voting Tory again, she added.

The parties were less of a problem than lying about their existence, said her friend, Barbara Robinson, a retired pharmaceutical analyst and former Conservative voter. “In terms of partying, it wasn’t a mad party, though they were drinking and mixing when we weren’t. But to lie about it consistently and to lie in the House of Commons, that’s the problem.”

Though she had spent the long jubilee weekend at her daughter’s wedding, news had still reached Robinson of the reading Johnson had given at the Queen’s thanksgiving service (Philippians 4:8): “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right ... think about such things.”). “He had a nerve to read that out loud,” she said, tutting. “Somebody was clearly having a dig who set that verse for him to read.”

Butcher Robin Skinner: ‘I think [Johnson] has been an absolute fool.’


Robin Skinner, Greenmount’s butcher, was another disillusioned Tory voter. “I think [Johnson] has been an absolute fool. You can’t defend him over the parties. When it comes to the state of the economy, I don’t think he can do a right lot about it – it’s not just us that’s suffering from inflation. But the parties, no. It’s up to him to tell the truth about them.”

Nurse Jo Slater, a lifelong Tory, was conflicted. “Personally, I really like Boris. I think he’s a good prime minister. The only thing he’s not got in his favour, which is really unfortunate, is the parties,” she said. “It’s not really forgivable when people couldn’t even see their dying relatives in hospital. If I didn’t like him as much as I do, I would be saying he’s got to go.”

Nurse Jo Slater, a lifelong Tory: ‘If I didn’t like him as much as I do, I would be saying he’s got to go.’


The local elections did not go well for the Conservatives in Bury, losing three seats and seeing one of their former stalwarts storm to victory as an independent (“My values are no longer aligned to those of Bury Conservatives,” said Yvonne Wright when she quit the party in February). Her departure came shortly after Christian Wakeford, Bury South’s MP, defected to Labour in January, saying he could “no longer defend the indefensible”.

Greenmount is part of North Manor council ward, a Tory stronghold that usually elects candidates with majorities of 1,000 or more. But this time Labour was within 207 votes of taking a seat.

With such a slim majority to overturn in the next general election, Labour looks to have a very good chance of winning back Bury North. But they too may have a leadership problem. “Keir Starmer doesn’t fill me with confidence either,” said Robinson. “He’s in this Partygate thing now and he’s looking as if he’s lied too, hasn’t he?”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
×