The reason the Tories won IMO was because Johnson made political capital of the the English nationalism and anti minority sentiments that fuelled Brexit.
The new found Tory voters in the North and Midlands who have been fcuked over by first Thatcher, then the global crash and austerity and now Brexit have something to coalesce around - a sense of nationalistic pride and hatred of others.
They know the Tories are not going to improve their lot ,they don't think the other lot are either ( in facts things will only get worse) but at least Johnson has given them permission and provided the environment for them collectively to take out their frustrations against the 'outside world' ,thereby giving them a substitute for their lost jobs and communities.
It's a clever (and age old trick), but the problem is it's like a drug and as these areas continue to decline the Tories will have to pump the inhabitants full of more of the propaganda of xenophobia and hatred to mask their own self loathing. Until the bubble bursts.