Boris Johnson insists ‘things will get better’ in 2023 after admitting 2022 was ‘pretty tumultuous’

Boris Johnson has said he is confident ‘things will get better’ in the year ahead after a ‘pretty tumultuous’ 2022.

In a brief new year greeting posted on social media, the former prime minister made no mention of his unceremonious ejection from Downing Street – swiftly followed by his successor Liz Truss – or the cost-of-living crisis.

Instead he delivered a bolstering message on the prospects for the economy and the opportunities opened up by Brexit following the end of the pandemic.

He said he was ‘more convinced than ever’ that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will be defeated in Ukraine while there were signs that inflation around the world was coming down.

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In a New Year’s greeting posted on social media, Boris Johnson said he is confident ‘things will get better’ in the year ahead after a ‘pretty tumultuous’ 2022

‘2022 is tip-toeing towards the exit after a pretty tumultuous year in which we lost our beloved Queen and saw the start of the worst war in Europe for 80 years,’ he said.

‘I want to tell you why I am looking forward to 2023 and why I am confident that things will get better

‘Our post-Covid, post-pandemic UK will finally start to take advantage of all our new freedoms, lengthening our lead as the best place on earth to invest, to start a business, raise a family or to just hang out in the pub which is what I propose to do this New Year’s Eve.’

Earlier this week, a poll showed Boris Johnson is more popular among Tory members than Rishi Sunak, his Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and his predecessor Liz Truss.

The former prime minister trailed only mainstay Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch and Home Secretary Suella Braverman in a Conservative Home survey released yesterday.

Mr Wallace, who has served under three prime ministers this year, was far and above the most popular Tory in the wake of his support of Ukraine.

The poll shows Mr Sunak, who finished five votes behind Mr Johnson to come in fifth place, may have some way to go to win over the grassroots. Having lost out to Ms Truss in the summer’s leadership contest, he entered No 10 after a second contest in October that saw MPs rather than party members choose him.

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The poll shows Mr Sunak, who finished five votes behind Mr Johnson to come in fifth place, may have some way to go to win over the grassroots

Mr Sunak regularly topped Cabinet approval polls on the ConservativeHome website during his time as Chancellor, especially during the early stages of the pandemic

The survey panel of more than 3,300 party members put Mr Hunt on 35 votes, five behind the Prime Minister, and Ms Truss on 31.

Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt was on 27 and former Business Secretary and influential backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg earned 24.

Mr Sunak regularly topped Cabinet approval polls on the ConservativeHome website during his time as Chancellor, especially during the early stages of the pandemic.

He fell, however, after the leadership contest and then again following the Autumn Statement.

Mr Johnson, who will stand at the next general election and enjoys enduring popularity among members, and Mr Rees-Mogg both ranked highly in a separate contest for Backbencher of the Year, with the outspoken Lee Anderson coming top.

Former Tory MP and ConservativeHome editor Paul Goodman said: ‘It’s a tribute of a kind to the topsy-turvy nature of 2022 that Johnson, Truss and Sunak were all eligible to be both minister of the year and backbencher of the year.’