In a bid to “warm the cockles of Tory hearts”, the PM is to make a deal with backbench MPs to maintain their support of his leadership, including abolishing ‘lefty’ policies of ‘prioritising a green agenda', the Sunday Express reports.

Boris Johnson’s ‘pact’ with backbenchers was reported in the Express over the weekend, earning frontpage standing in the Sunday Express.

The article contends that Johnson has reassured Tory MPs that he is a “sound Conservative at heart” who is “in tune with the value of the wider electorate.”

The series of moves to attempt to appease his backbenchers and save his premiership, include a clear out of Downing Street staff, listening “to the right” people who will be brought in as replacements, and – most alarmingly – replacing ‘lefty’ green agenda policies.

Citing an ‘insider’ who says these are the policies the “prime minister wants to fight in the next election,” the Express writes:

“….he has agreed to replace “lefty” policies, including prioritising a green agenda and ‘nanny state’ rules, with ones which will promote a “stronger union of the United Kingdom, the economic recovery post-pandemic, and making people richer.” 

A ‘bullish mood’

The frontpage of the Sunday Express ran with the headline ‘Bullish’ PM’s survival plan: Boris pledges to ditch advisers and left-wing policies and focus on cuts to ‘warm the cockles of Tory hearts.’

The lead story cites a source close to Johnson, who said he “is in a bullish mood” and “doesn’t feel like he is about to be toppled.”

“He does want to be more Conservative and bring in radical reform of the government. He knows that Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair both wanted to complete this slimming down of government and create a clearer centre of operations but ran out of time,” said the close source.

The Express doesn’t hold back when it comes peddling green policy witch hunts.

In August 2021, the right-wing paper published a climate-cynical report which alluded to a poll that alleged that two-thirds of UK adults fear green energy will drive their bills up.

“Boris Johnson’s push for a cleaner, greener Britain faces tough opposition,” the Express wrote.

Corresponding with its lead story on Sunday on the “bullish” PM planning on ditching left-wing policies including the green agenda, the Express focused a separate story on Andrew Neil’s thoughts on two policies that “signal the end for Boris Johnson.”

The first of Neil’s ‘nails in Johnson’s coffin’ is the National Insurance hike, and the second, the broadcaster argues, is his commitment to “ludicrous and expensive” elements of his net zero strategy, which will “not play well for the prime minister.”

Neil added that this ‘stubbornness’ may also be coming from ‘eco-warrior’ Carrie Johnson.

While the green-sceptic Express would be quick to jump on hints of the potential downgrading of green policies, the fact it gained prominent frontpage, lead-story status, suggests it could have been leaked from No 10.

Tory party divisions over net zero

Johnson’s push for attaining net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 is not shared by all in his party. Steve Baker, MP for Wycombe and one of Johnson’s former allies from the Leave campaign, pledged to make the cost of decarbonisation “his next great crusade.” Baker set up the Net Zero Scrutiny Group (NZSC) comprising of around 20 MPs within the Tory party, which is pushing for the expansion of domestic fossil fuels.

As the right-wing Express is quick to gloat, by ditching the so-called ‘leftie’ green agenda and the division it has created among the Tories, Johnson could win back support among MPs and, in the newspaper’s words, “ensure their continued backing of his leadership.”

Following a rash of resignations on Friday, the prime minister is desperate, after all.

Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a contributing editor to Left Foot Forward.

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