Rishi Sunak became the third Prime Minister of 2022 for the United Kingdom. The former Finance Minister promised to govern for the entire country, beyond the constant internal controversies of his party. These are evidence of the wear and tear of the ‘tories’ (conservatives), who have completed 12 years in power. Meanwhile, the opposition and part of the population, deeply dissatisfied, demand immediate general elections.
On the outskirts of Downing Street, separated by a security barrier, the leader of the protest asks if it is already 7:00 at night. When the time is confirmed, he activates a loudspeaker and begins to chant: ‘Tories’ out, ‘tories’ out (out tories).
The demonstrators, a group of almost 20 people, demand what much of the country wants: general elections to be able to vote for a party that changes the course of the country, mired in a deep social and economic crisis.
The size of that crisis is summed up in the fact that this year, for the first time in its history, the country will have its third prime minister and the fifth since the referendum to leave the European Union in 2016, Brexit.
Boris Johnson’s personal controversies over partygate, the parties held in Downing Street in full confinement due to the Covid-19 pandemic, took him away from governing to concentrate on defending himself.
Amid the noisy demonstration, Sam says that he is “tired” of the ‘Tory’ differences that have the country mired in a reality marked by the crisis in the cost of living, with inflation exceeding 10% and the increase in energy bills.
One of the banners held by the young protesters reads “Tories out, democracy in” (Tories out, democracy inside).
According to the latest polls, the Labor Party would sweep in a general election.
According to People Polling, Labor would obtain 53% of the vote, compared to 14% for the Conservatives, which, on a graph, would dye a significant part of the country’s political map red.
With Rishi Sunak in power, anointed MPs’ favorite for months, he is unlikely to allow such a general election.
Sunak and his party know that Labor is following them closely and that decision would be paid for in the opposition seats in Parliament.
The ‘tory’ bubble
The ‘Tory’ differences seem to have coexisted from their very beginnings. Not only are they ideological disputes, there is also what Tim Durrant, the associate director of the Institute for Government, calls “bad blood”, referring to the battle of egos.
These disputes jumped onto the public agenda in the 1990s with that historical quarrel over whether or not they should be close to the European Union. Whether or not they feel European.
Years later, trying to calm things down to prevent the Eurosceptic ‘Tories’ from ending up in the UKIP (British Nationalist Party) and clearing the way for Labour, then-Prime Minister David Cameron called the referendum that ended Brexit.
Far from helping to iron out those rough edges, Brexit opened up Pandora’s box, the contents of which, it seems, have not fully come to light.
Since then the constant drama and differences have taken over the ‘tories’, showing that it is a worn out party, mired in internal quarrels and a fight of egos.
Today’s community is a bubble far from the national reality and the feelings of the majority of the population, with a marked obsession with winning elections to stay in power.
“The most important thing for MPs and members is what other Conservatives think. They don’t care how the public’s opinions have changed, the most important issues in the country,” explains Durrant.
Rishi Sunak, the savior?
The weight of Sunak’s experience in handling tax issues seems to have tipped the scales in his favor.
Grassroots favorite Penny Mourdant dropped her candidacy at the last minute to clear the way for Sunak. Neither the projections nor her support gave her the ticket to the second stage. She had no choice.
In his very brief first public appearance, Sunak summed up his government’s priorities in two: recovering the battered economy and achieving national unity.
And incidentally he warned that the times ahead for the country are difficult.
To achieve the unity of the country, he knows that he must begin by uniting his fragmented party, a necessary cohesion to be able to govern without the risk of early rebellions.
It seems that due to the number of deputies who supported his candidacy, he would be guaranteed a time of calm and stability within the ‘Tory’ ranks in the House of Commons.
His cabinet, a collage of familiar faces, close allies and debutantes, is the first gesture to calm the conservative waters. He kept several Liz Truss ministers and ‘revived’ Boris Johnson loyalists, who even publicly supported his return to Downing Street.
“While Truss’s cabinet reflected a determination to run the government with a narrow segment of MPs, Sunak’s appointments of the same people show his desire to reach out to those who previously opposed him,” notes Henry Zeffman in ‘The Times ‘.
The return that did materialize was that of Suella Braverman to the Ministry of the Interior and incidentally created the first controversy of Sunak.
Braverman resigned for having broken the ministerial code by sending confidential information from his personal email, although in his resignation letter he made clear the deep differences with Liz Truss.
At noon Rishi Sunak promised “integrity, professionalism & accountability”
At 5pm he made Suella Braverman Home Secretary, 1wk after she resigned for Ministerial Code breach/security lapse
I have put party before country. Security is too important for this irresponsible Tory chaos https://t.co/AU9OmMnn9T
— Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP) October 25, 2022
Sunak had to return her to office to maintain the support of the ‘Tory’ right. Ella suella is today the remarkable face of that sector, she has earned that title at the point of advertisements about immigration control.
The shadow interior minister, Yvette Cooper, stated that with this appointment the prime minister “put the party before the country.”
The youngest prime minister in history
Sunak also becomes the first prime minister of Indian origin, from an ethnic minority to be elected. Born in England, his parents were immigrants from India.
It seems that the Conservative Party is trying to adapt to a more modern and multicultural country to ensure its long-term survival.
Sunak is the first billionaire to come to Downing Street. His wealth, according to ‘The Guardian’, is 700 million pounds sterling, double that of King Charles III, which would range between 300 and 350 million pounds sterling.
As the country begins to get acquainted with the new ruler, experts have pointed out that, in this situation of international instability, the country requires austerity and cuts in public spending.
“The new premier is going to have to show that he can make changes, improve people’s lives and he doesn’t have a lot of time. He is going to have a very difficult time at Downing Street,” Durrant said.
The Conservative Party and its leader try to give a sense of calm after the storm, although demonstrations will surely continue demanding a general election outside Downing Street.
