The most recent YouGov poll is showing that the Tories could suffer their heaviest ever defeat in a general election. A poll of over 18,000 voters has given Rishi Sunak yet more bad news.
Voters Tired of Chaotic Tories
After a reasonable start to life under a coalition, then Tory government, things went downhill fast after the disastrous Brexit vote.
Internal Party Politics Became a National Issue
To help settle cracks within his party, David Cameron promised a referendum on EU membership. In doing so, he started the irreversible break up of the party.
A Party Divided
The campaigning for the referendum saw internal divisions come to the fore. The party was splitting between Cameron and Osborne campaigning to remain, and Johnson and Gove campaigning to leave.
The Result Many Dreaded
When against the odds, the leave voters won, it signaled an irreversible decline in the party. Cameron resigned, Osborne was replaced. Theresa May took over and the nation looked towards what life outside of the EU might look like.
Tory Infighting Dominated UK Politics
After the referendum the Tory infighting didn’t stop. Some wanted a ‘clean break’ with Europe, against expert advice. Others wanted to negotiate a deal. The media became a ground for Tory MPs to criticize one another.
May Wins General Election
In 2017 May won a general election, which helped to solidify both her and her government’s position. She beat a left-wing Labour Party, spearheaded by Jeremy Corbyn to win a majority.
Rumors Abound About Rebellion
Every week there were fresh calls for a new leader. Party defections weren’t uncommon, and the lack of agreement on Brexit meant the biggest issue of the day was slow to resolve.
Deal or No Deal
A deal with the EU was negotiated, and the process was met with equal happiness and fury depending on your stance on the matter. May suffered three significant defeats in the commons, and it was clear she had little support.
May Stepped Down, Johnson Took Over
When the pressure to resign reached fever pitch, May stepped down as Prime Minister. She was replaced by Boris Johnson. As a prominent leave campaigner, he was seen by the right wing as the man to ‘get Brexit done’.
Johnson Solidified Position With Election Win
Following a landslide election win in December 2019, Johnson and the Tories seemed to have strong backing by the voters. They ran on a promise to ‘get Brexit done’, and put the issue to bed.
COVID 19 Had Other Ideas
As the world shut down and dealt with a global pandemic, attention turned inwards. Domestic politics came to the fore, and initially Johnson and his new Chancellor, Rishi Sunak won favor for how they dealt with the crisis.
Predictable Tory Chaos Was Just Around the Corner
As the country had become accustomed to though, more Tory chaos was just around the corner. Senior government advisor Dominic Cummings was found to have breached lockdown rules. Reports of Tory corruption began to surface.
Partygate and Profiteering
Rumors around an unfair procurement process for PPE started to gain traction. A much-vaulted app to help manage vaccination status was seen as a huge waste of money. A story about Downing Street parties during lockdown began to emerge.
Out of the Pandemic, Into the Fire
It was clear the public had lost trust in Johnson and the Tories. In local elections in summer 2022, the Tories were heavily beaten. The party rounded on Johnson, and he was forced to resign.
Truss Was In, Then Shortly Out
An internal vote took place and Liz Truss won out. She entered office, crashed the economy with a disastrous budget delivered by Kwasi Kwarteng, and left in less time than it took a lettuce to rot.
Dishy Rishi to the Rescue?
Having previously lost a leadership contest to Liz Truss, Sunak felt like a last throw of the dice. Whilst he wasn’t a natural, charismatic leadership figure, there was hope by some he would offer stability and put an end to the Tory circus of the last few years.
Sunak Inherited Problems
Comared to previous Tory leaderships, Sunak’s time in office has been largely uneventful. Domestically, Brexit has largely settled. The pandemic is over. There’s a general dislike for him in the Tory party, but in reality the damage to their reputation pre-dates his leadership.
He’ll Be Remembered For Cost of Living Crisis and Resignations
The biggest issue he’s had is the rising cost of living, and he’s not exactly covered himself in glory. The problems largely rectified themselves through supply chains easing. Another notable element is the large numbers of people leaving the party – rats fleeing a sinking ship perhaps?
Corbyn Out, Starmer In
Following another election defeat, infighting, reports of anti-Semitism and constant concerns over the direction of the Labour Party, Corbyn was forced to resign his leadership. This came to the relief of many, as the party was deemed far too left wing to appeal to voters.
Starmer Rehabilitated an Ailing Labour Party
Whilst seen as a surprise winner of the 2020 leadership contest, Starmer set about reforming the party. He sought to repair the reputational damage done to the party by previous leadership. He took a no-nonsense approach to the far left and anti-Semitic elements within the party.
Stronger Labour, Weaker Tories
Whilst Starmer isn’t the fresh-faced, charismatic leader the party had under Tony Blair, he does bring an air of stability and maturity to his leadership. Combine this with a shambolic Tory government and you’ve got a real vote winner.
The Circus Leaves Town
Frankly, the Tories have done this to themselves. They took an internal dispute over Europe, and made it a national issue. They’re leaving the country more divided, more indebted, more heavily taxed and less trustful of politicians than in any other time in living history.
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Muhammad Aamir Sumsum.