China News Service, July 24 (Bian Lei) On July 24, local time, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took office for a full year. However, standing at the node of the prime minister's first anniversary, the domestic media in the UK does not seem to be so happy.

Data map: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

　　The headline of the British "Guardian" article said: "Boris Johnson knows how to win. But if he wants to last another year, he must learn how to govern (the country)".

　　Some media are more straightforward. The title of the article in the British political theory magazine "The Spectator" is: "Johnson's failed government control"; "The New Statesman" directly refers to: "Boris Johnson's first year as prime minister: (shows) incompetence and malice" .

Image source: screenshots of the British "Guardian", "The Spectator" and "New Statesman" (puzzle)

　　When he first took office, Johnson was one of the most controversial figures in British politics. He once wore many shining labels: Oxford student, former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's most admired journalist... After taking office a year, even though he still bears The iconic golden messy hair, but many of the halo seemed to have faded. What happened this year?

[Overcoming the "Life and Death Tribulation"]

　　Since taking office, Johnson's biggest "crisis" occurred when he took office 9 months. The British government even prepared an emergency plan at the time to prevent him from being "unable to perform his duties."

　　At the end of March, Johnson claimed to be infected with the new crown virus; only 9 days later, he was sent to the hospital; on the second day of hospitalization, he was sent directly to the intensive care unit (ICU).

　　"They brought me a mask, and then gave me oxygen in several liters and several liters." After recovering from his illness, Johnson recalled these days and still had lingering fears. He said that the doctor once had to prepare an interim plan and may announce his "death" at any time.

On April 7, 2020, a large number of media were waiting in front of the St. Thomas Hospital where British Prime Minister Johnson was admitted. The Prime Minister’s spokesperson stated that Johnson was admitted to hospital for intensive care on the evening of the 6th due to worsening symptoms of the new crown.

　　Fortunately, he broke through this "ghost gate". At the same time, many voters found that they liked the prime minister more than they realized.

　　At that time, during the most severe period of the British epidemic, the British government was criticized for missing the opportunity to fight the epidemic, implementing the "Buddhist" anti-epidemic, and proposing a "herd immunity" strategy. Some British media even predicted that the epidemic may ruin Johnson's political future.

　　However, after the diagnosis, Johnson's approval rate has risen, and the approval rate of his Conservative Party has also risen. "It reminds people of why they liked him when he was the mayor of London." a former cabinet colleague commented.

　　However, the "sweet period" brought about by Johnson's illness does not seem to last long. When he was discharged from the hospital, the number of deaths from the new crown in the UK exceeded the psychological barrier of 10,000, and the government's subsequent epidemic prevention policies were still not satisfactory: the guidelines for resumption of work were approved too hastily; he was accused of taking too much action in response to the epidemic in nursing homes. slow.

　　In addition, at the critical moment of the fight against the epidemic, the prime minister’s "people around" have been dragging his feet: Chief Counsel Cummings was exposed to blatantly violating the "home order"; his father also went to Greece when the government did not recommend traveling abroad.

　　One by one, Johnson's approval rating was frustrated again.

Data map: On July 23, 2019, the new leader of the British Conservative Party was announced at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Center in London, and Johnson won the election.

[The stumbling road to Brexit]

　　In fact, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson's road to governance had been twists and turns.

　　On the eve of July 24, 2019, Johnson defeated his opponents by 66% to 34%, becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party and reaching the peak of power.

　　However, a few weeks later, he suffered successive setbacks in the parliament due to the advancement of the Brexit process: after the mandatory parliament "holiday" was strongly backlashed, and dozens of Conservative Party members "against the water", he resolutely overturned the previous decision and threw out "Lightning election" card.

　　Fortunately, he won this "big gamble."

　　During the preparations for the "Double Twelfth" election, Johnson used his housekeeping skills. While frequently promoting the slogan of "Completing Brexit" on various occasions; while "carrying out a side business", remaking the film "True Love First", became a "blogger" and recorded Vlog, soliciting votes.

　　In the end, British voters gave Johnson a "like" to the Conservative Party, allowing the party to achieve its biggest election victory since 1987. At the same time, it also prompted the UK to officially leave the European Union on January 31, 2020.

　　This seems to be a perfect ending. However, with the unfolding of negotiations between Britain and Europe, the UK's journey to Brexit seems to have just begun. Whether Johnson can lead the UK to reach a trade agreement with the European Union before December 31 and smoothly end the transition period is the focus of the "post-Brexit era."

　　At present, the negotiations between Britain and Europe are still deeply divided. Johnson's position on the Anglo-European trade agreement appears to be very tough. He has said that if a consensus cannot be reached, the UK will accept the consequences of no agreement.

　　In fact, if Britain and Europe fail to reach trade negotiations during the transition period, tariffs will be imposed from 2021, which will have an impact on the economies of both sides. The analysis believes that the British government ignored the business community’s call for an extension of the transition period and added more costs to enterprises, which is purely dogmatic. If Britain leaves the European Union without negotiating with the European Union, it will have adverse consequences.

Data map: On June 15, 2020, London, England, commuters wearing masks take public transportation.

[Dismal economic report card]

　　At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has also “made worse” the British economy, which is experiencing weak growth.

　　Three weeks after most parts of the UK were unblocked, the number of consumers patronizing retailers was still nearly 50% lower than a year ago; spending on hotels and entertainment dropped by nearly half compared with the same period in 2019.

　　On July 14, the Office of Budget Responsibility of the United Kingdom issued a report showing that the total cost of the British government's response to the epidemic will reach 192.3 billion pounds. Even with optimistic forecasts, GDP will still fall by 10.6% in 2020.

　　This means that in 2020, the UK may experience its biggest economic contraction in 300 years.

　　In fact, half a month before the release of this report, Johnson announced the economic stimulus plan for the "post-epidemic era" and declared that the plan was "related to the British national fortune", and it was linked to the American "Roosevelt New Deal" in the 1930s. Comparable.

　　Johnson announced that the UK plans to invest 5 billion pounds to accelerate infrastructure construction; a week later, Chancellor Sunak announced a fiscal plan of up to 30 billion pounds to alleviate the impact of the epidemic on the job market.

　　However, once the ambitious plan was announced, it was questioned. The British "Guardian" pointed out that critics claimed that the government did not invest funds for the new plan, which is not a "New Deal" but an "absolute fantasy." Even the Chancellor of the Exchequer Sunak admitted that despite the announcement of the emergency fiscal plan, Britain is still facing "difficult times".

　　"We will not be able to protect every job," Sunak said.

Data map: On April 27, 2020, British Prime Minister Johnson returned to the prime minister's residence at 10 Downing Street to resume work.

[The rise of new political enemies? 】

　　A survey conducted by the British polling agency Opinium at the end of June showed that more voters believed that Stammer, the leader of Britain's largest opposition Labour Party, was better than Johnson for the prime minister.

　　Stammer only succeeded Corbyn in April this year and was elected the leader of the Labour Party. During the British fight against the epidemic, he repeatedly made critical suggestions on the government's anti-epidemic policy.

　　He once accused the Johnson government of failing to provide adequate protective equipment for front-line medical staff, failing to detect timely, and making "serious mistakes." At the same time, he also pointed out that the government had failed to provide the public with information on how to survive the crisis. Clear direction".

　　So, will Starmer become Johnson's political rival? The British "Financial Times" analysis shows that Starmer has adopted an attitude of supporting the government, and the Labor Party itself is still in the repositioning stage. Due to the 2019 general election, the Conservative Party has largely occupied the Labor Party's hinterland, making it difficult for the Labor Party to reunite with its old forces. Although the epidemic has caused trouble to Johnson, it is hard to say that the Labor Party has come out of the downturn.

　　The newspaper predicted that with the Conservative Party occupying a large proportion of the seats in the House of Commons, although Johnson "has no way to fight the epidemic," his policy freedom will remain quite high in the next five years.

　　Originally, the UK was confidently planning to "fly solo" in 2020 and re-find its international positioning. Johnson is also gearing up, ready to "show his skills."

　　But now, most of the work has been put on hold due to the epidemic, and Johnson can only bite the bullet and work hard to survive the epidemic first. In any given year, he has already reached the "iron board of reality". What will happen to the rest of his term? (Finish)