The last couple of weeks have been politically horrendous for Johnson. The effect of such lost momentum should not be underestimated. A 26% lead collapsing to 4% during what should be his ‘honeymoon’, is not something that can be recovered from, simply by people ‘forgetting’. 1/4

I get why folks are pessimistic and say “in four years it will all be forgotten” and it’s true, four years is a long time. But make no mistake, the last couple of weeks have hurt Johnson and not just with voters, but significantly with his MPs. The shiny new ball is scuffed. 2/4

It gives the opposition an unexpected foothold. That “one rule for them and another for you” label has really stuck. And it has stuck because voters already suspected it. All Johnson does now -every scandal, every tax, every policy- will filter through that prism of distrust. 3/4

The opposition, for the first time in a long while, has been handed a compelling narrative that is accessible, credible and taps into a raw powerful energy. If they nurture and feed that narrative it can swallow the gov’t. Long way to go yet, but that’s a pretty big deal. 4/4