Boris Johnson: Partygate, quitting and why some people think he's done a good job (and it's not just Tory MPs)

There are a fair few less-vocal people who believe he’s done a “sterling job”, much like the quiet but strong throngs of support that got him into power in the first place with the Conservatives' shock victory in 2019.

Reporter Sophie Mei Lan, who is regularly out and about on the streets asking for people’s opinions, shares her findings.

From his ‘bumbling buffoon’ persona still floating around the internet to his tagline to “get Brexit done,” there’s still an affection within certain communities in Yorkshire for the PM who is set to be officially replaced on September 5.

It would be easy to scroll through your Twitter feed and other public echo chambers online and feel comforted in the fact that ‘we’re all in this together’ when it comes to the disdain and disbelief at Boris Johnson’s actions.

But it would be naive to believe that our views are the absolute consensus because there are a lot of less vocal voices who are still very much in favour of Boris Johnson - but many of them don’t want to be named.

"I think he's done a sterling job,” said one passer-by from Wakefield, who felt Boris had been hard done to by the press.

This passer-by like many other Boris supporters did not want to be named. Another woman in her fifties said: “He’s a good bloke. Yes he made some mistakes but he means well. But I wouldn’t say that to people.”

While most of the young people I spoke to were anti-Boris and felt overall disdain for the government and politicians in general, some of those in support of the controversial but “personable” leader had enjoyed memes of him on TikTok and other social media platforms.

Another said: “I think he’s funny. He’s done all sorts of funny stunts. I quite like him.”

It was that same persona that played a part in his surprising landslide victory of 2019.

She added: “He does make sense sometimes he's quite a character he's got a character of his own.”

It is rare I struggle to get people with a strong viewpoint on camera or to be named but it seemed members of the public were aware of some of the repercussions of speaking out:

One said: “Everyone will have a go at me.”

So, is it just Conservative politicians willing to speak out?

One of those who would go on record providing he wasn’t affiliated with his work or leisure activities, was Alex Green, 38, from Harrogate.

He said: “He is different, he is polarising but one thing that you don’t see amongst a lot of politicians is what you see is what you get.

“Some of his policies I don’t agree with but I do believe he has our best interests and the public’s at heart.”

Mr Green added that while Boris’s integrity could be questioned and “he isn’t perfect,” but “ultimately all politicians lie.”

He added: “He’s positive whereas most politicians prefer to put a negative slant on everything. I think he’s the best hope the Conservatives have. I think Boris will be back.”

Overall, people I spoke to were more ‘Boris-haters’ than lovers - with some of those who are in the Conservative party also feeling dismay at their in-party division and behaviour.

That said, people’s views largely depended on the media they regularly consumed and those they surround themselves with online and offline.

It’s not as simple as those on Twitter are anti-Boris or those on TikTok are pro-Boris. It feels more of a war of who we choose to follow and the media we already consume as our online news feeds become ever more curated around what and who we already engage with.

And that’s not forgetting those who feel shut out by the media all together and feel an overall distrust at anyone in power.

Sadly, the leadership contest should be a battle for the truth rather than personalities with so much at stake with the current cost of living crisis - because one thing that everyone I spoke to felt was a mistrust of those in power.