Boris Johnson faces his first serious electoral test since his reputation hit rock bottom

Ever since the "Partygate" scandal rocked Boris Johnson's premiership at the end of last year, the British Prime Minister has repeatedly dodged questions about his future by asserting that what the public wants is for politicians to get on with running the country, not obsess over events that took place nearly two years ago.

Later this week, Johnson will have some indication of whether or not that claim is right. On Thursday, people across England, Scotland and Wales will vote in local elections, the closest thing to a mid-term that Johnson has faced since taking office in 2019.

The vote takes place as Johnson and his governing Conservatives are surrounded by scandals and crises so bad that members of his own party have publicly called for his resignation. Indeed, the most pressing of these scandals, which saw Johnson fined by police for breaching his own Covid rules during the 2020 lockdown, might have led to his ousting from office under normal circumstances.