Election pollster explains how exams scandal has damaged Boris Johnson
23 August 2020, 11:01 | Updated: 23 August 2020, 11:55
Pollster explains how exams scandal has damaged Boris Johnson
A leading pollster has explained how the exams scandal and the Dominic Cummings saga has damaged Boris Johnson's reputation in the minds of the public.
Peter Kellner, also the former president of polling agency YouGov, said the issues had "cut through" to members of the public who don't often pay attention to politics or the news.
He told LBC: "We know that when you get these big sudden events where a govenrment looks like it's caused a great mess you will get movement in the polling dial.
"The questions is whether it will stay moved in two, three, four weeks' time and I think it might."
Mr Kellner cited the scandal over Dominic Cummings' alleged breach of the Covid-19 rules to stay with his family in County Durham during lockdown as an issue which has significantly changed some voters' opinions on Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party.
He added: "That cut through to ordinary voters, and I think the mess over A-Levels and GCSEs - that seemed to be one of those cut through issues.
"Most people don't follow politics much except at election time, but very occasionally something does come through and I think this has."
