Boris Johnson counts down the New Year in the Cotswolds

EXCLUSIVE: Happy to count out 2022 Boris? Former Prime Minister leads the celebrations for the new year at party in the Cotswolds after telling Britons ‘things will get better’ in 2023 having admitted the past 12 months has been ‘pretty tumultuous’

• Boris Johnson was seen ringing in the New Year in a village in the Cotswolds
• The former PM was seen counting down in a pub in Charlbury, Oxfordshire 
• It came after Mr Johnson admitted that 2022 had been a ‘pretty tumultuous’ year
• He was accompanied by his wife Carrie Johnson and sister Rachel Johnson 

Boris Johnson was spotted enthusiastically partying away and ringing in the New Year in a sleepy village in the Cotswolds.

The former Prime Minister was seen in the dark venue, loudly counting down to the New Year into a microphone, in what is believed to be a pub in Charlbury, Oxfordshire.

Surrounded by people in cowboy hats, and hay on the floor, Mr Johnson appeared to be celebrating the start of 2023 at a barn dance where line dancing was even taking place.

He was accompanied by his wife Carrie Johnson, as well as his sister Rachel Johnson, according to social media posts. 

Leading the countdown, the MP  for Uxbridge and South Ruslip, appeared to check it was midnight on his watch before shouting ‘2023’, while others chanted ‘Happy New Year’ and confetti fell down.

He is then seen embracing those around him as the video is stopped.

Earlier that day, in a short social media video, Mr Johnson admitted 2022 had been a ‘pretty tumultuous’ year but he was confident that in 2023 ‘things will get better’.

The short clip made no mention of his disgruntled resignation from Downing Street in July, or the swiftly his successor Liz Truss had to leave No.10.

While he failed to mention the cost-of-living crisis directly, the former PM said he was confident the economy would bounce back in 2023, with signs of inflation around the world coming down.  

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

He placed a large emphasis on the ongoing war in Ukraine, claiming 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. 

Mr Johnson then went on to deliver a bolstering message on the prospects for the economy and the opportunities opened up by Brexit following the end of the pandemic.

He said: ‘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.’

 It is unknown which pub the Johnson family were partying in but it could have been one of three, including The Bull, the Rose & Crown or Ye Olde Three Horseshoes. 

The Bull in Charlbury is known for being a popular haunt for another former Tory Prime Minister and the former MP for Witney David Cameron, according to the Oxford Mail.

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

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 revealed.

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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