British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Faces Challenges as Conservative Party Loses Seats in Parliament
The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is facing a series of challenges as his governing Conservative Party recently lost two seats in parliament. These by-elections, which are special elections held outside of regular election cycles, were won by the main opposition party, Labour, in dramatic swings. If these results were replicated on a national level, it would mean a significant Labour majority in a general election. The losses come at a particularly difficult time for Sunak, as the UK officially entered a recession just one day prior, amidst an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Sunak’s flagship policies are also failing. His pledge to reduce irregular migration by stopping small boats crossing into England from France is being undermined due to accusations that a key government deportation policy breaches international law. This is concerning for the Conservative Party, as they traditionally outperform Labour on issues like economics and immigration. Sunak’s failure in both these areas is worrying his party, especially considering that they will have to call a general election next year.
Although Conservatives were expecting to lose these by-elections, their hopes were momentarily boosted when Labour found itself embroiled in an antisemitism scandal earlier in the week. However, a leaked video in which a Labour by-election candidate made controversial claims about Israel forced the party to withdraw its endorsement. Despite this scandal cutting through with voters, it made no difference at the ballot box, as evidenced by the election results.
Some Conservatives believe that the party leadership is increasingly out-of-touch and damaging its own electoral prospects. They argue that Sunak, who happens to be the richest person to ever hold the office of Prime Minister, is not an appropriate leader during a time when many people in the UK are struggling financially. Others think that Sunak panders too much to the center-ground of his party and should focus more on “red meat” Conservative issues such as cutting taxes and tearing up environmental policies.
One particular concern for Conservatives is the rise of Reform UK, the new party led by Nigel Farage. Farage, who has been a constant thorn in the Conservatives’ side for decades, forced them into increasingly right-wing positions during his tenure as leader of both the UK Independence Party and the Brexit Party. While Reform UK may not be a serious contender in terms of taking power, it could potentially take enough Conservative votes to make Labour’s path to government even easier.
The right-wing faction within Sunak’s party is becoming increasingly vocal, with some calling for his resignation. Recent polls have shown that Sunak is even less popular than his predecessor, Liz Truss, who resigned after her controversial economic policies caused the pound to crash and interest rates to rise in a matter of days. The question of who would replace Sunak is unclear, as former Prime Minister Boris Johnson no longer sits in parliament and bringing him back before the next election would be challenging. Additionally, Johnson’s popularity is not as widespread as his loyalists claim.
With limited time before facing the public, it is difficult to see what Sunak and his party can do to avoid what seems increasingly inevitable – being ousted from office by the voters. In the immediate term, Sunak’s challenge is not winning over the public but rather keeping his party together. However, if he cannot even accomplish that, the already narrow path to electoral victory will continue to shrink, making the journey even shorter.
