'I don't trust any of them': How the Boris effect hits Tory hopes of keeping Uxbridge seat

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Christine Saunders stood in front of a real estate agent, frowning as she stared at the properties listed in the window.

The disdain on her face grew when I asked her about the by-election. "I don't trust any of them," she said. "Lie after lie, it's really ridiculous."

Ms Saunders has lived in Uxbridge, west London, for more than 50 years. She has seen her fair share of MPs come and go – the latest being former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He called a by-election for the seat after leaving the House of Commons in disgrace over the Partygate report.

He held the seat for eight years and with a majority of over 7,000 in the last election. But Tories fear the historically blue constituency may finally change color after years of scandals involving Mr Johnson.

Sally, 60, a resident of Uxbridge, said she couldn't bring herself to vote for anyone in the by-election after 'wasted' years under the Tories.

She said: "Boris had the perfect script, but he missed it.

"It doesn't inspire me to vote, in fact, it totally puts me off and I'm not voting tomorrow. The Conservatives wasted 10 years here and now I can't bring myself to vote for anyone.

Steve Brine, chairman of the Commons health and social care committee, told BBC Radio 4 he expected the Tories to lose in Uxbridge and South Ruislip because of what he called "long Boris", which compares the ex-PM's impact on the party to people who suffer Covid symptoms for months or even years after contracting the disease.

Maggie, a 66-year-old pensioner, said: "I was a Boris fan and then he broke the Covid rules, but I forgave him for that. But that was until I saw that smirk on his face and thought, 'You're not sorry.'