‘Boris was stabbed in the back’: voters in Tory heartland Spalding defend PM

In true blue constituency in the heart of the fens, residents give Johnson credit for Brexit and stance on war in Ukraine

Spalding is the heart of the Fens and the soul of Toryland. This Lincolnshire town is among the safest Conservative seats in the UK - the constituency of South Holland and The Deepings returned its MP, Sir John Hayes, with 75.9% of the vote in 2019.

So the disappointment expressed by Conservative-supporting townsfolk in Spalding at the decision to cut short Boris Johnson's premiership should ring alarm bells for his successors. If Johnson is looking for a country retreat after he hands back the keys to Chequers, he'll find an enthusiastic welcome here. Less so his parliamentary colleagues.