Former Tory cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, still reeling from his recent electoral defeat, is strongly considering a political comeback—despite admitting that the Conservatives “deserved” to lose. Here’s the full story.
Considering Political Comeback
Former Tory Cabinet Minister and soon-to-be reality TV star Jacob Rees-Mogg has announced that he is considering a political comeback after losing his parliamentary seat in the 2024 general election.
“Thinking Very Strongly”
The Conservative stalwart, well known for eccentricities that hid some deeply eurosceptic and right-wing views, revealed at the Edinburgh Fringe festival that he was “thinking very strongly” about running for Parliament again despite losing his North East Somerset seat, previously held with a majority of over 15,000.
Major Loss to Labour
Despite holding the seat since its creation in 2010, following a disastrous Conservative election campaign in which Rees-Mogg’s staunchly Brexiteer views rapidly fell out of favour with the electorate, he lost his seat to Labour’s Dan Norris at the recent election.
“We Deserved to Lose”
However, unlike some of his contemporaries, like Liz Truss, who has attempted to rewrite recent history to paint themselves and the Conservative Party in a better light, in a remarkably candid admission to comedian Matt Forde and an audience at the Fringe, the former Leader of the House of Commons admitted that the Conservative Party “deserved” to lose.
“We Governed Badly”
He stated, “We governed badly, we hadn’t done what we told people we would do. We put up taxes when we said that we wouldn’t, we hadn’t dealt with migration, and we hadn’t governed well. I can’t pretend we didn’t deserve it.”
Warning His Family
Like many Conservatives who could read the writing on the wall in the run-up to the 2024 election, Rees-Mogg saw his imminent defeat coming and warned his family accordingly.
“I Will Probably Lose”
He stated, “I wrote to my children at boarding school before the election to say ‘Look, I will probably lose.’ I tried my best to warn them that I was going to lose my seat.”
Praise for Sunak
However, despite the Conservatives suffering their greatest electoral defeat, Rees-Mogg praised former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s handling of the situation, describing his response to the electoral bloodbath as one of “great dignity.”
Defending Liz Truss
Rees-Mogg also took the opportunity to defend former Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has faced ongoing criticism since her incredibly brief time in Number 10.
Truss’s Economic Meltdown
Truss’s economic policies, particularly her controversial mini-budget, were widely blamed for triggering a financial meltdown, which was all the more impressive considering she had only been in office for 45 days.
Truss’s Lettuce Moment
Truss, who infamously lasted less time in office than a lettuce live streamed by the Daily Star newspaper as her premiership and the economy fell apart around her, was recently interrupted by a politically charged protest prank during a similar event at the Edinburgh Fringe.
“I Crashed the Economy”
As Truss discussed her support for former US President and convicted felon Donald Trump, a banner unfurled behind her emblazoned with the words “I crashed the economy,” and, what else, a lettuce. Truss, visibly annoyed, stated, “That’s not funny,” before taking off her microphone and unceremoniously exiting the stage.
Truss’s Response to Protest
Following the incident, Truss took to social media to voice her frustrations, writing on X, formerly Twitter, “What happened last night was not funny. Far-left activists disrupted the event, which then had to be stopped for security reasons. This is done to intimidate people and suppress free speech. I won’t stand for it.” She added, “Would we see the same reaction if the activists were far-right?”
Mistaken Identity: Led By Donkeys
It is perhaps unsurprising that Truss, who, if her disastrous economic policies are anything to go by, does not always appear to be the most detail-oriented person, misidentified Led By Donkeys, the group responsible for the stunt, as a far-left group when their stated mission is actually to reverse Brexit and point out political hypocrisy.
Rees-Mogg Criticises Truss Criticism
Despite the banner prank being a peaceful protest, Rees-Mogg argued that the attacks on Truss had become “deeply unpleasant” and “personal,” rather than focusing on legitimate political criticism.
“Not a Bad Person”
He noted, “I think the attacks on her have become deeply unpleasant and go beyond the normal political criticism and have become very personal. She is not a bad person.”
Possible Return to Politics
However, soon, the discussion returned once again to the possible return of the man who, due to his peculiar and old-fashioned fashion sense, had been dubbed the Member for the 18th Century, Jacob Rees-Mogg, to Parliament.
“I Love Politics”
In remarks which left the door open for a potential comeback at the next general election, Rees-Mogg noted, “I am not absolutely certain, but I love politics and I love being in the parliament.”
Uncertain Future
However, considering how roundly defeated Jacob Rees Mogg was at the last general election and how the fractured remnants of the Conservative Party have yet to coalesce around a unifying figure while their leadership race drags on, it remains to be seen whether his constituents would welcome him back with open arms, or if his time in the political wilderness will be destined to continue.
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