Boris Johnson offers spending splurge to new supporters

Experts said his pledge to spend more on public services would go down well in northern England

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his girlfriend Carrie Symonds leave the Conservative Party's headquarters with their dog following the general election in London, Britain. Reuters

Supporters are seen as Green Party candidate Caroline Lucas is announced as the winner for the constituency of Brighton Pavilion at a counting centre for Britain's general election in Brighton, Britain. Reuters

Conservative Party candidate Imran Ahmad-Khan speaks after he is announced as the winner for the constituency of Wakefield at a counting centre for Britain's general election in Wakefield, Britain. Reuters

Labour Party candidate Lloyd Russell-Moyle celebrates with supporters after he is announced as the winner for the constituency of Brighton Kemptown at a counting centre for Britain's general election in Brighton, Britain. Reuters

Carrie Symonds, partner of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, holds their dog at the counting centre in Britain's general election in Uxbridge, Britain, December 13, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts after the General Election results of the Islington North constituency were announced at a counting centre in Islington during Britain's general election, London, Britain. Reuters

First Minister and SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon is mobbed by supporters as she arrives at the counting hall during the UK Parliamentary Elections at the SECC in Glasgow, Scotland. Getty Images

Ballots in a tray labelled Jo Swinson, Liberal Democrats candidate for East Dunbartonshire, are seen at a counting centre for Britain's general election in Bishopbriggs, Britain. Reuters

Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidate Baron Badger reacts next to Conservative Party candidate Dominic Raab, Liberal Democrats candidate Monica Harding and independent candidate Kylie Keens during the announcement of voting results for the constituency of Esher and Walton, at a counting centre for Britain's general election in Esher, Britain. Reuters

Brexit Party candidate Richard Tice is interviewed after Labour Party candidate Mike Hill is announced as the winner for the constituency of Hartlepool at a counting centre for Britain's general election in Hartlepool, Britain. Reuters

Supporters cheer after Labour Party candidate Mike Hill is announced as the winner for the constituency of Hartlepool at a counting centre for Britain's general election in Hartlepool, Britain. Reuters

Brexit Party members watch as ballots are tallied at a counting centre for Britain's general election in Hartlepool, Britain. Reuters

Ballots are tallied at a counting centre for Britain's general election at Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, Britain. Reuters

Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidate Lady Lily the Pink is seen as ballots are tallied at a counting centre for Britain's general election at Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, Britain. Reuters

Bill Blockhead, an independent candidate in the running for Bath's MP, and his wife Becky are seen outside a counting centre during Britain's general election, Bath, Britain. Reuters

Staff members count votes at a counting centre during Britain's general election, Bath, Britain. Reuters

Boris Johnson’s Conservatives surged to a commanding parliamentary majority by wooing voters in historically left-leaning seats who had voted for Brexit but grew disillusioned with Jeremy Corbyn’s confused approach to leaving the European Union.

While Mr Johnson’s immediate priority will be ratifying the European Union withdrawal agreement, experts believe the new government will tilt to a more interventionist and populist model away from decades of liberal economics and the recent implementation of austerity.

Paul Kelly from the London School of Economics said Mr Johnson possessed the philosophical flexibility to change the basis of Conservative attitudes towards taxation, public spending and state-run services.

“He travels light ideologically; his manifesto is fairly thin and now he has a lot of power but also a lot of responsibility. What does he really want to do on big questions like the future of the union?” he said.

“So I think we could be in for a surprisingly interesting times despite the transition now from hung parliament and minority government to a thumping great majority. Majoritarian politics is not easy either and that I think is one of the most interesting questions as we look forward from tonight’s result,” he added.

The first-time Conservative supporters that kept Mr Johnson in government differed from those that propelled David Cameron to a majority in 2015, and the Prime Minister acknowledged this as he said “may only have lent us your vote”. In the election campaign he pledged a raft of spending proposals and will now look to implement them.

He has pledged to support policies more aligned with moderate conservatism.

Martin Farr from Newcastle University said there were signs that Mr Johnson wanted to see the state take the lead on investing in infrastructure as a priority over the low tax or deregulation agenda.

“Brexit aside, he campaigned on what he saw as being centre-ground issues, as much as he could, I mean his own political instincts are essentially Liberal-Conservative ones,” said Mr Farr.

“I was very struck by having campaigned on peoples priorities, when he addressed the nation after his victory he had the new branding on the wall behind him, ‘the peoples government,’ as a very conscious way of suggesting that this is not merely a Conservative government but a government for the country,” he added.

In the election campaign Mr Johnson’s slogan was ‘get Brexit done’ but he also promised big public service spending campaigns such as increasing the number of hospitals, although many of his claims have since been found to be misleading and over the top.

Speaking in Downing St on Friday, Mr Johnson said his government would lavish more funding on health care as well as “levelling-up” infrastructure between the regions.

“In the next few weeks and months we will be bringing forward proposals to transform this country with better infrastructure, better education, better technology and if you ask yourselves what is this new government going to do, what is he going to do with his extraordinary majority I will tell you that is what we are going to do we are going to unite and level up – unite and level up bringing together the whole of this incredible United Kingdom,” he said.

After a bruising set of campaign exchanges on the National Health Service, the prime minister will not want the issue to become a political Achilles Heel.

“It wasn’t a very detailed manifesto but he did make pledges, so I suspect there will be considerable investment in police and the NHS not least because this is how he won over voters in the north and how he will retain voters in the north Brexit aside if he can demonstrate he’s invested in things that matter to them and those things matter to them more than anything else,” said Mr Farr.

“He realises it’s important to neutralise the threat the Labour party might offer, so I suspect the NHS will be a beneficiary as will the police,” Mr Farr added.

With its new support base and an influx of MPs brought in specifically by Mr Johnson, a new kind of party could be emerging as its geographical support base widens.

Simon Hix from the LSE asked how the ruling party’s new political base would influence its agenda. “Who do the Conservatives now represent?” he asked.

“All of those new Tory MPs are going to be in the midlands and in the north of England in areas of the country dependent on public services, dependent on manufacturing, dependent on agriculture, he’s going to need to deliver a Brexit that minimises the impact of Brexit on the British economy and minimises the impact of Brexit on British public services,” he told an LSE election night event.