If you want to understand anything or everything in British politics now, it is this. At least half the population have actively chosen to give their backing to Boris Johnson either on Brexit, the general election or both.

They didn't make decide based on evidence or reason but were cajoled & persuaded to do so based on emotion, sentiment & blind faith. They are on his side. When "we" criticise Johnson's handling of Coronavirus or anything else, "they" take it as a personal attack & double down.

This is not a position we got to quickly, it took years & years of hegemonic construction, (much of which was inadvertent side-effects of the pursuit of other political & media agendas, notably the bolstering of petty nationalism.) It will also take years to tear down / reverse.

This is the main reason people don't trust Labour & don't trust the media. If anyone in the media or politics thinks it can or will be turned around by a few unfortunate events or a bit of forensic inquisition they really haven't been paying attention.