‘He’s a buffoon’: Bolsover folk don’t hold back after Boris Johnson apologises as lockdown ‘bring your own booze’ event

Labour firebrand politician Dennis Skinner lost the seat he had held since 1970 after being defeated by Conservative Mark Fletcher in a result which shocked the nation.

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As Prime Minsiter Boris Johnson faces calls to resign after admitting this week that he attended a ‘bring your own booze’ event during the strict first coronavirus lockdown in May 2020, the Derbyshire Times went to the ‘red wall’ ex-mining town of Bolsover – and found there isn’t much love for Mr Johnson and the Tories now (take a look at the above video).

Royce Layden said: “He (Mr Johnson) is a buffoon.

“The guy’s a fool.

“We've got an idiot running the country, haven’t we?

“He needs to go – and quick.”

Bernard Smith said: “I think he should resign.

“He keeps shooting himself in the foot over and over again.

“I voted for him but he’s done too many things wrong.

“I think he’s lost all respect and confidence of the country.”

Steven Coleman added: “I don’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth.

“He should be fined for breaking the rules.

“And all those people who were fined for breaking Covid rules should get their money back.

“I’d never vote Conservative.”

Paul Sadler commented: “To be doing the opposite of what he was telling everyone else to do is absolutely disgusting.”

His wife Janice said Mr Johnson had ‘done such a good job with the pandemic’ but added: “What he's done now just makes you question it all big time.”

One resident, who did not want to be identified, said: “The Tories are now doomed – and it’s all down to bad Boris.”

And another added: “There can never be another lockdown again. Nobody would follow the rules after all this.”

There was some support for the embattled Prime Minister, however – one woman said: “Everybody should get behind him for getting Brexit done and delivering the vaccine roll-out.”

Mr Johnson admitted during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday that he had joined colleagues for drinks in the Downing Street garden on May 20, 2020, for around 25 minutes to thank them for their work during the pandemic.

He said he ‘believed implicitly that this was a work event’.

Apologising for his handling of the gathering, he claimed he understood people’s ‘rage’.

The event – described in the invitation by Mr Johnson's principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, as socially distanced – was attended by around 30 people. They were told they could bring their own alcohol.

Food, including sausage rolls and crisps, was reportedly laid out on trestle tables.

Senior civil servant Sue Gray is currently conducting an investigation into alleged Covid-rule breaking at Number 10.

Cabinet ministers have spoken out in support of Mr Johnson – but he is also facing calls to resign.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told BBC Breakfast he ‘absolutely’ backed Mr Johnson and added: “You’ve got to let these investigations get to the full details and the full facts.”

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross and other senior backbenchers have urged him to stand down.

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