!
Register for the View from Westminster email to receive professional analysis directly to your email inbox.
Sign up for our View from Westminster email for updates on all the latest political news, analysis, and commentary.
Receive our View from Westminster email for free and stay informed on the newest developments, insights, and opinions in politics.
Rishi Sunak has experienced another challenging week with resignations, warning signs, and unfavorable poll numbers as he still hasn’t announced a date for a national election.
The conservative party leader is losing control as a high-ranking member announces their departure from politics and a previous deputy chair switches to support Nigel Farage’s right-wing opposition party, Reform UK.
Recently, Mr Sunak has been under increased scrutiny after a revealing poll showed a significant drop in his popularity.
Rishi Sunak had a challenging week, as a senior member of the Tory party defected to another party and a defence minister resigned.
The recent poll carried out by JL Partners reveals disappointing findings for the struggling Tory leader. According to the results, voters view him as a “feeble, incompetent, wealthy fool” while the party falls behind Labour by 20 percent.
Unfortunately for the prime minister, Boris Johnson was chosen by voters, with Margaret Thatcher – who passed away 11 years ago – and Nigel Farage following close behind Mr. Sunak.
The bruising analysis comes as armed forces minister James Heappey announced plans to leave his role in government and quit as an MP at the next general election, joining 61 other Conservative MPs who have said they plan to leave politics before the next election.
Mr Sunak’s leadership is now at risk as the prime minister has had to reject the possibility of a May general election due to growing suspicions that he may be forced to hold a quick vote to prevent poor local election results and placate a potential Conservative uprising.
The Labour party has accused Rishi Sunak of being a coward for rejecting the idea of a May election. Keir Starmer has continuously demanded for a prompt vote.
There are reports that according to sources at Downing Street, the government is considering scheduling an election for Thursday, October 10. However, this information has not been confirmed by No 10.
According to the new poll focusing on Mr Sunak, the top 10 words most commonly chosen by all voters to describe him, in order of popularity, are: “Weak, useless, rich, untrustworthy, incompetent, bad, idiot, rubbish, liar, smarmy”.
The individuals who supported the Conservative Party during the 2019 election were equally critical, finding it difficult to come up with anything positive to say about him.
According to James Johnson, who is the director of the polling company JL Partners, the results of the word cloud survey that was conducted last weekend demonstrate the significant decline in Rishi Sunak’s approval ratings among the public since he assumed the role of prime minister approximately 18 months ago.
However, the resignation of Mr Heappey has lent support to the idea that even Mr Sunak’s team of ministers are acknowledging their defeat.
James Heappey has announced that he will not run for re-election as a Member of Parliament in the upcoming election, according to statements made to his constituents.
The minister stated that the present is the opportune moment to seek a new profession. He also mentioned his commitment to assisting Mr Sunak in his role as leader of the Conservatives until he wants me to step down, and then I will serve from the backbenches.
At the start of the week, Lee Anderson, a former deputy party chair and vocal supporter of the red wall, joined Reform UK. This came after he was expelled from the Conservative Party for making Islamophobic remarks about Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London.
Reform UK is gaining ground in recent polls, potentially impacting the Conservative party’s chances of winning the next election. Many are speculating that their growing popularity could damage the Tories’ voter share.
Lee Anderson’s decision to switch parties will contribute to the growing problem for Rishi Sunak, as the Reform UK party erodes Conservative backing.
There is talk that Mr. Anderson’s choice to leave the party could prompt other Tories to do the same, especially those dissatisfied with the prime minister’s actions.
Mr Sunak received a warning from fellow members of the New Conservative group, known for their conservative beliefs. Miriam Cates and Danny Kruger released a statement together, expressing that the Conservative Party has not successfully maintained the support of the voters who helped them achieve a significant majority in 2019.
“The electorate, both in our established strongholds and in “red wall” constituencies like Ashfield, supported us due to our promising, nationalist, straightforward Conservative policies.”
According to their statement, “Our survey results indicate public perception of our performance since 2019. We can no longer falsely claim that the current plan is effective. Immediate action must be taken to alter our direction.”
Source: independent.co.uk
