Now that the local elections are over, the debriefs will be underway. Campaign managers will decide their tactics for the upcoming elections. The question is for the Tories: With their record in government being so poor, what are they actually going to campaign on?
Tory Record on the Economy
Since 2010, economic growth has largely flatlined relative to projections. Austerity triggered a reduction in public spending and public investment. The net result is the UK has the slowest growth in the G7 economies.
Living Standards Under Tory Government
Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said: “This parliament is set to achieve a truly grim new record: the first in which household incomes will be lower at its end than its beginning.” Their work shows that between 2019 and 2025, the average British family will be £1900 per year poorer.
National Debt
When the Conservatives took office, they were keen to blame Labour for the national debt because they bailed out the banks after the financial crisis. The national debt was around 70% of GDP. According to the Commons Library, it’s almost 100% of GDP.
Management of the NHS
The Tory record on the NHS is dismal. We currently have record waiting times, chronic staff shortages and under-investment in the estate. The government still needs to hit new hospital building targets, and there are record-low levels of public satisfaction with the NHS.
Cost of Living Crisis
While the reasons for the cost-of-living crisis are multifaceted, many of them point to the government. Notably, Liz Truss crashed the economy, forcing interest rates to rise. The war in Ukraine saw many prices rise, but supply chains have eased. Still, that’s not thanks to Sunak and Co.
Public Services
Industrial disputes under the Tories have been frequent and hard-hitting. Junior doctors, nurses and consultants have been on strike. Teachers have been on strike, and rail workers have been on strike. Meanwhile, MPs have enjoyed several inflation-busting pay rises.
PPE Scandal
During the pandemic, Tory Peer Michelle Mone and her husband, Doug Barrowman, were awarded over £200m worth of government contracts to supply personal protective equipment (PPE). However, the equipment was faulty and unusable, and they’re now being investigated for fraud.
Partygate
Whilst the nation was locked down and unable to visit loved ones, it emerged that Downing Street was enjoying cheese and wine parties and late-night boozing sessions. If ever there was a case of ‘one rule for one, and one for another’, this was it.
Sexual Scandals
Political sexual scandal is nothing new, but since 2019, there have been 9 Tories who have lost the whip thanks to sexual scandal – William Wragg, Imran Ahmad Khan, Crispin Blunt, Chris Pincher, David Warburton, Neil Parrish, Peter Bone, Rob Roberts, and Julian Knight. Factor in Boris Johnson and Mat Hancock’s affairs; you’ve got quite the bunch.
School Funding
The ‘School Cuts’ website, run by the National Education Union, tracks school funding. It states, “After 14 years of chronic Government cuts, 70% of schools in England have less funding in real terms than in 2010.”
Brexit Debacle
Where to begin here? Nobody is happy with Brexit. The far-right thinks it wasn’t hard enough, and the centre isn’t happy it happened at all. None of the benefits we were promised have materialised. We now have a smaller GDP, we pay more for food, and we have border checks for everyday goods.
Defence Spending
Treasury and Ministry of Defence data highlights a 22% reduction in resource spending, from £41.9bn in 2010/11 to £32.5bn to the planned spend for this financial year. It has led to calls to increase defence spending – calls which it seems are being listened to.
Immigration
Whatever your stance is on immigration, there’s one thing that is clear, it’s that the government hasn’t found a solution. Whether it’s issues with processing, with deportation, with stopping small boats, it doesn’t matter. The government hasn’t effectively dealt with any of them.
HS2 Scrapped
In 2012, the government announced that HS2 would be built between London and Birmingham, with additional lines linking the midlands to the north of the country. Over time and budget, various phases of the project have been scrapped. It has been an expensive PR disaster for the government.
Levelling Up
The project was announced with enthusiasm by Cameron and Osborne when the Tories took office. Despite frequent promises, and confirmation of commitment to it by several Tory leaders, it hasn’t actually gone anywhere. Levelling up hasn’t happened, and it will cost the Tories many northern votes.
Leadership Merry Go Round
Prior to 2016, we were used to a level of political stability regarding the Prime Minister. Thatcher was in place for 11 years, Major for 7, Blair for 10, Brown for 3, and Cameron for 6. We’ve had 3 PMs since 2022 now, and that’s the result of political infighting.
The Election Results Will Startle
Everyone expected the election results to be bad, but they’re probably worse than even the Tories hoped for. They’ve lost councillors, councils, and Mayors, and they’re probably about to lose MPs and power, too.
Split Party Can’t Decide Direction
Following the election results, there have been calls for the party to move further to the right to win back support. The issue here is that Reform already has a lot of that vote secured, and stepping further right risks alienating the moderate Conservative voters.
National Mood Decided
YouGov polling shows that the voters’ intentions have shifted. They are deciding they’re done with Conservative leadership and want to give Labour a chance. The Tory circus will be leaving town.
Time for Conservatives to Rebuild
To anyone other than the most ardent Conservatives, the UK government has been a shambles since Brexit. There has been infighting, sleaze, a decline in public service, strikes, the cost of living, leadership merry-go-rounds, and culture wars. It has been an embarrassment, and the Conservatives need a complete rebuild.
The post Tories Reflect on Local Election Outcomes: What Will Their Campaign Strategy Be? first appeared on Swift Feed.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Daniel Heighton.