Boris Johnson has had his fair share of negative publicity lately, but not without due cause.
After a string of lockdown-breaking party allegations followed by accusations of “ducking difficult decisions” over a Christmas lockdown, the prime minister has not necessarily been in everybody’s good books over the last few weeks.
Darts fans certainly made their feelings known as they chanted “stand up if you hate Boris” during last night’s PDC World Championship in Alexandra Palace.
Several spectators held signs mocking Johnson, including one that read: “All round to Boris’s after” and another that had the message: “This is a business meeting” written beneath a drawing of wine and cheese.
A sign at the darts tonight, as the crowd at Ally Pally loudly also sang “Stand up if you hate Boris.” pic.twitter.com/7fH06fdWcS
— Daniel Hewitt (@DanielHewittITV) December 20, 2021
The chant "Stand Up If You Hate Boris" goes up at the darts world championship at Alexandra Palace. When you're stinking out the room at The Arrows that probably counts as "cut through" pic.twitter.com/MW5UHyvEhp
— Graeme Demianyk (@GraemeDemianyk) December 20, 2021
The latest controversy to hit the government revolves around an image of a “work meeting” involving up to 17 staff members in the Downing Street garden in May 2020. The picture obtained by The Guardian shows the prime minister pictured alongside wine and cheese at a time when the nation was in lockdown.
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After a two-hour Cabinet meeting yesterday, Johnson drew back from imposing new Covid rules in the run-up to Christmas despite fears the NHS could be overwhelmed due to the rampant Omicron Covid variant.
The government was also rocked by the loss of a seat the Tories have held for almost 200 years in a North Shropshire by-election last week.
Owen Paterson’s former seat might not be the only seat the Conservatives will lose, with a new YouGov poll carried out for ITV Wales and Cardiff University suggesting that in Wales the party could lose around eight parliamentary seats at the next general election.
The chanting at the darts follows a viral video of Leeds United fans singing: “Boris Johnson is a c***” over the weekend.
Meanwhile, a campaign has been launched to get an explicit song about the prime minister to the top of the charts this Christmas.
All in, the footage from the darts last night will surely be salt in the wound for the prime minister.