London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Johnson aims to beat Thatcher’s record with another decade in power – reports

Johnson aims to beat Thatcher’s record with another decade in power – reports

‘Levelling up’ British society will take 10 years, the prime minister writes as Tories slip in polls
Reports that Boris Johnson has ambitions for another decade in power as he aims to outlast Margaret Thatcher’s 11-year tenure in No 10 have been met with consternation.

The Times reported that Johnson wanted to build a legacy. One cabinet member reportedly told the newspaper: “Boris will want to go on and on. The stuff Dom [Dominic Cummings] was saying about him going off into the sunset was nonsense. He’s very competitive. He wants to go on for longer than Thatcher.”

Cummings, Johnson’s former chief adviser, had said Johnson planned to step down two years after the next general election, to “make money and have fun”.

Johnson shared his pitch for the 2024 election in a piece published in the Times, saying Conservative plans to “level up” British society would take 10 years. The oft-repeated promise has been criticised by an all-party group of MPs as lacking definition and coordination.

With echoes of the 2019 election, during which the Conservatives’ mantra was “get Brexit done”, Johnson looks likely to frame the next election around Britain’s relationship with the European Union. In an extract from an upcoming book by FT journalist Sebastian Payne, the Times quotes Johnson as saying the UK would “slump back” into following the bloc’s regulations under a Labour government.

News of the prime minister’s optimistic vision for extending his tenure follows a slip in the polls after the government announced a manifesto-breaking tax hike. A YouGov poll showed support for the Tories fall five points to 33%, while Labour rose by one point to 35%, putting the party ahead of the government for the first time since January.

The Scottish National party’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford used the prime minister’s hopes for another decade in power to emphasise his party’s bid for Scottish independence, saying it was “the only way to keep Scotland safe from the long-term damage of Tory cuts, and 10 more years of Boris Johnson”. He said the prime minister had “inflicted long-term harm on Scotland”, listing the costs of Brexit, cuts to universal credit and the rise in national insurance contributions.

The Labour and Co-operative MP for Huddersfield, Barry Sheerman, also voiced his concern at the idea of another 10 years of Johnson in power, tweeting: “All those of us who believe in decent honest principled politics had better do something to thwart this ambition.”

A Labour spokesperson said: “We would remind Conservatives that it is the public who get to choose how long the prime minister serves.”

The Conservative party’s fall in the polls follows the government’s decision to push through a 1.25% increase in national insurance contributions, which will be levied on employers and employees to fund health and social care, breaking the party’s 2019 manifesto commitment not to raise VAT, income tax or national insurance. Johnson acknowledged that the move broke the pledge, defending the decision by saying “a global pandemic wasn’t in our manifesto either”.

Labour opposed the national insurance rise. The shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said it placed the cost on younger working people while those who “get their income from financial assets, stocks and shares” face no additional tax burden. Keir Starmer highlighted how the plans would lead to workers shouldering the cost: “Johnson’s tax rise means a landlord who owns and rents out dozens of properties won’t pay a penny more, but the tenants working in full-time jobs will. They are hitting young and low-paid workers while leaving the wealthy untouched.”

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has also warned that “an ever-growing NHS budget could swallow up all of this week’s tax rise, leaving little for social care”.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×