A former Tory chairman has launched a blistering attack on Rishi Sunak’s choice to call an early election. Here’s the full story.
Tensions Mount Within the Tory Party
The Conservatives have been remarkably quiet since they lost the recent general election in a landslide, but there are signs that the long-suppressed Tory civil war may be about to boil over.
Jake Berry Attacks Sunak
In a recent interview on Times Radio, former Conservative chairman Jake Berry unleashed a full-throated attack on former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has been acting as interim leader until the Conservative leadership election expected later this year.
“Stupid Political Misjudgment”
Berry, who, like many Conservatives, lost his seat in the recent election, did not mince his words describing Sunak’s decision to call an early election as “one of the most stupid political misjudgements in the history of politics.”
Sunak’s “Idiocy”
Berry stated, “I think the thing it proves to me is the absolute idiocy of Rishi Sunak calling an early election. Everyone tells me what a clever man he is, but I think he must have taken leave of his senses that day, if he ever had them in the first place.”
Frustration Over Progress Lost
Berry’s evident frustration stemmed from his belief that the Conservative government was making tangible progress on several key issues, particularly illegal immigration.
“Economy Growing, Immigration Down”
He added, “Because we’ve had an interest rate cut, the economy is growing and immigration is coming down. You know, it will just go down in history as one of the most stupid political misjudgements in the history of politics.”
Economic Progress Ignored
In addition to immigration, Berry and other critics of Sunak’s decision have highlighted that, at the time of the election, the UK had recently experienced an interest rate cut, and the economy was showing signs of growth.
Election Call in the Rain
Despite this, Sunak called an early election in a now-infamous speech outside Downing Street in the pouring rain, a PR disaster that set the tone for the rest of the Conservatives’ calamitous election campaign.
Titanic Comparisons
In addition to Sunak launching the general election campaign in the rain, the Conservatives also had an election event at the Titanic Museum. This led to comparisons of his leadership of the Tories with the doomed ocean liner.
Abandoning D-Day Commemorations
Similarly, Sunak left D-Day commemorations to run back to the UK for an interview with ITV, leaving Foreign Secretary David Cameron to stand in for him with world leaders like US President Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, President of France, and Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany.
Criticism Over D-Day Snub
To say that his decision to abandon the D-Day commemorations was poorly received back in the UK would be a massive understatement, with even friendly newspapers turning against the increasingly embattled Prime Minister.
Leadership Contest Heats Up
The shockwaves from the Conservative election defeat are still rippling out within the party. The six candidates for Conservative leadership—James Cleverly, Priti Patel, Robert Jenrick, Mel Stride, Tom Tugendhat, and Kemi Badenoch—are increasingly at each other’s throats as the contest heats up.
Badenoch’s “D-Day Blunder” Critique
Badenoch, the frontrunner in the leadership race from the party’s right and known for her strident views, was particularly critical of Sunak’s decision to proceed with the early election without consulting the cabinet, which she described as a “D-Day blunder.”
Critical Time for Tories
The leadership race comes at a critical time for the Conservative Party, which has historically not taken losing elections well.
Rebuilding the Tory Brand
Whichever leadership contender is unlucky enough to win the race will inherit the unenviable task of rebuilding the Conservative brand, even as the party seems increasingly determined to tear itself apart with ideological infighting between the centre and the party’s right.
Farage Steals Tory Votes
Adding to the Conservatives’ woes, Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, is increasingly eating into their share of the vote, with previously Conservative-supporting newspapers often giving Farage more media coverage than the Conservatives.
Long-Term Consequences for Tories
The consequences of Sunak’s decision to call an early election are likely to reverberate within the Conservative Party for some time. The loss of key seats, coupled with the exposed internal divisions, will leave the party in a precarious position.
“Depth of Frustration”
Sir Jake Berry’s scathing critique of Sunak’s decision underscores the depth of frustration within the party. His comments reflect the broader disillusionment among many Conservatives who believe that the party’s recent setbacks could have been avoided if only they had a more capable leader.
Leadership Election Uncertainty
With the leadership election heating up, it remains to be seen which Conservative, former or current, will be the next to stick their head above the parapet to criticise Rishi Sunak and which leadership candidate will inherit his position at the top of their much-reduced party.
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