CABINET ministers have dubbed Boris Johnson’s election strategy the “Lemar strategy” after the Fame Academy singer’s famous 50:50 song – because he plans to go half on attack and half on defence.
The PM told a meeting of his Cabinet on Thursday night that he wants 50 per cent of the Tory election campaign to be attacking Jeremy Corbyn and other opponents and 50 per cent defending his policies and Brexit strategy.
A Cabinet minister interjected to suggest the party call it the ‘Lemar strategy’ after his 2003 ‘50/50’ hit, in which he can’t decide whether to get back with a girl who cheated on him.
But the PM warned his top team that the party would have to show more unity to win the election.
And in a significant remark that signals his Brexit deal won’t satisfy the demands of hardline Brexiteers, he warned: “Even the Spartans will have to compromise”.
The 28 Brexiteer Tory MPs who voted against Theresa May’s third Brexit deal were dubbed the ‘Spartans’ due to their uncompromising approach.
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Mr Johnson presented the Cabinet meeting with internal Tory polling showing they are confident of winning a “functional majority” at the election because he is “miles ahead” on the issue of leadership against Mr Corbyn.
And he said their polling of voters had shown the PM’s description of the Brexit-delaying Benn Act as the “Surrender Act” was hurting Labour’s chances badly.
A Cabinet source said the PM had told colleagues the “numbers are moving in the right direction,” adding: “Labour must have the same numbers, which is why they’re running scared from an election.”
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