The polls paint him black: barely 100 days after his appointment, 53% of the British people consider that Rishi Sunak is a weak prime minister.
As strikes rage in the UK, the economic recession intensifies, and the cost of living is increasingly exaggerated, the popularity of the prime minister is quantified in negative numbers.
In addition, the Conservatives are facing the biggest reputational crisis in their history, after the failure of the rebranding What did they expect after the resignations of Boris Johnson y Liz Truss.
A Rishi Sunak it is difficult for him to defend himself against criticism, which accuses him of being a pusillanimous person, and of not knowing how to manage the internal commotion of his party.
He knows that the situation will only get worse in May, when local elections are held.
For the moment, the Conservatives faint at 18 points below Labour, and the government is running around the clock to mend trade relations with the rest of Europe after Brexit.
Which Altar he needs to rescue his legacy they are quick wins. Thus, he hopes to demonstrate that his government is capable of promoting effective policies and legislation, and that it can overcome the controversy of its own deputies.
The dismissal of Nadhim Zahawi
The tax controversy Nadhim Zahawi dealt a severe blow to the reputation of Rishi Sunak. Appointed Chairman of the Conservative Party by the same Prime Minister, Zahawi was involved in a scandal for fiscal irregularity, after transferring several million-dollar shares to a company offshore a Gibraltar.
The revelation questioned Sunak’s judgmentwho chose Zahawi as an ally even though the government Customs and Revenue agency had investigated and fined.
AltarCautiously, he began a parliamentary investigation to determine if his deputy’s behavior amounted to an ethical violation.
But this decision earned him insults from Keir Starmerleader of the Labor party, who accused him of being “hopelessly weak”: “Are you wondering if the position is too big for you?” he asked sarcastically, Starmer.
In the face of criticism, Altar hastened to cease Nadhim Zahawiand name instead Greg Hands.
But the damage was done; polls showed that Sunak had not asserted his authoritysince, although 29% of those surveyed believed that the prime minister had correctly managed the situation, 45% considered that they had done it wrong.
Drastic Cabinet Reshuffle
The demolition of the Department of Commerce, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, and the creation of the three divisions with its rubble, forced Rishi Sunak to carry out a slight domestic restructuring.
The premier is still marked by the controversy of Nadhim Zahawiand wanted to take the opportunity to make a clean slate among his ranks, and show good judgment when choosing his allies.
To calm tensions between his critics, Sunak appointed Greg Hands Party Chairman.
It is a safe option, popular with the British, and an ally of Rishi Sunak since ever.
Handswho at the time opposed Brexit and now shows a moderate attitude towards relations with Europe, is a veteran among the tories: He has held various high-level ministerial posts since 2015.
Grant Shapps will be the one who leads the new Department of Energy, while Michelle Donelanformerly Minister of Culture, will be Minister of Science.
The position of Minister of Commerce, which until now was held Shappswent to Kemi Badenoch. All of them enjoy great popularity among the British.
Although Altar hopes that this small domestic restructuring will allow it to establish its authority over the cabinet, the British press perceives these changes as unnecessary, going so far as to compare it as “Rearranging the chairs of the Titanic”.
Lee Anderson, an ace up the sleeve
In contrast to the “safe” bet of his new ministers, Rishi Sunak has awarded the post of vice-president of the Conservative Party to a controversial figure: Lee Andersondescribed by the newspaper The Guardian as a “controversial machine”.
Anderson makes headlines for his drastic view of the world, and his tendency to express radical opinions.
Consider, for example, that the “uncomfortable” tenants they should ‘live in tents’, and that the government’s immigration policy is regrettable.
The opposition earned him the nickname “Lee-30-cent”for his controversial claim that people who turn to food banks They don’t know how to manage their budgets.and that you can cook a nutritious and complete meal with only 30 cents.
But Anderson he is a key figure among “red wall” voters, the areas of England that Labor often dominate in elections.
His appointment will rejoice those who consider the elections for losses, since Anderson represents the district of Ashfield, in Nottinghamshire, since 2019, Conservative stronghold in the red zone.
three new departments
To regain ground and support during this financial and personal crisis, Rishi Sunak has put the Department of Commerce, Energy, and Industrial Strategy in its crosshairs.
As he already promised during his ill-fated electoral campaign last summer, he intends to scrap this division, and create three separate departments instead.
The first, and most important, will be dedicated to energy supply.
From there, the team Altar will work to find and negotiate solutions to the energy crisis, and will ensure that international zero emission targets are met.
The second department will be science, innovation, and technology. Through this division, Rishi Sunak seeks to promote the scientific development of the United Kingdom.
It is his ace in the hole to boost British economic growth, since, according to what he usually affirms, he considers that the future of the economy It is above all in innovation.
The third part of this project will consist of a new business and trade departmentwhich will deal with problems such as strikes, and international trade relations after Brexit.
But it won’t do that either assert your authority between his critics and his allies.
Speaking to the newspaper The Timesa number of MPs said they were “surprised” by the changes.
They argued that it supposes too much political spendingfor a very low priority result.
“I don’t understand the goal. We are not going to win the elections by changing the machinery of the Government. How does it meet our purposes? I think the changes make Rishi Sunak look weaker.», critic since The Times a conservative.
Others worry that the prime minister’s cabinet will spend the next six months concentrating on processing these changes, instead of making policy, or resolving their crises.
“We cannot afford this interruption. Time is not on our side. Must fully concentrate on political managementif we want to win the next elections”, complained a parliamentarian, in statements to the newspaper The Guardian.
