Lord Newby slams Boris Johnson's Afghanistan approach

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Boris Johnson and his cabinet endured a thorough dressing down from both sides of the House of Commons yesterday. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer torched the frontbenchers, and members of their party handed blame for the ensuing tragedy in Afghanistan at their feet, especially those of foreign secretary Dominic Raab.

Britons have done much the same, according to a recent poll, suggesting the Prime Minister is in for another humiliating drop in his approval rate.

Mr Johnson is currently at an all-time approval rate low, according to pollsters Opinium.

A poll commissioned by The Observer on August 7 found his approval has fallen to -16.

The rating follows a steady decline in national support for the PM, who was on -13 two weeks previously, and -8 another fortnight before.

Just 34 percent of voters approve of his job in the top spot, while a majority of 49 percent disapprove.

National feeling on Afghanistan may only see this decline become more pronounced.

While pollsters have not yet released a post-Afghanistan approval estimate, they have measured national feeling on the crisis.

YouGov released a poll on August 18 that asked Britons who they blamed for the fall of Afghanistan.

What do you think? Join the debate in the comments section here

The organisation gave 2,195 people five options they could choose to place their opinion. They included:

• The US, UK and other western nations
• The now-deposed Afghanistan government
• Both equally
• Neither
• Don’t know

The most popular of the five was the “both equally” option, with 32 percent taking a more holistic approach.

DON’T MISS
Joe Biden approval rating drops to all-time low – latest polls from US – ANALYSIS
POLL: Should UK take in more than 5,000 fleeing Afghans? VOTE NOW – POLL
Afghanistan refugees map: The councils who pledged to resettle Afghans – MAP

Otherwise, most people laid blame on the US and its allies.

YouGov found a quarter of people blame the “US, UK and other western nations”.

Those roughly 548 people are more likely to blame the Government for the failure in the Central Asian nation.

In another poll, YouGov asked another 2,194 people whether they believed western governments could have done more to prevent the Taliban’s takeover.

A majority, 40 percent, thought they could have done more, showing the public also recognises the Government’s failures.

These results will likely spill into Mr Johnson’s approval rating, pushing it down even further.

Other ministers will feel the pain as well, especially Dominic Raab.

The foreign secretary was on holiday when Kabul fell and didn’t return immediately, leading to calls for his resignation.

Source: Read Full Article