What has been the increase in the popularity of rival conservative parties?
What is the reason for Rishi Sunak’s popularity decline?
What are the reasons for increasing doubts about Rishi Sunak’s efficacy?
What is the reason for general strikes in the UK?
While British Conservatives hoped Rishi Sunak’s appointment would bring relief after months of chaos and turmoil under Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, doubts about Sunak’s competence continue to mount. Rishi Sunak’s popularity decline popularity is dangerous for conservatives.
Conservatives’ popularity declined, according to polls
Rishi Sunak’s popularity decline reflects a decline in public confidence in conservatives. A month after Sunak’s victory in the Conservative by-election, statistical data from the YouGov polling institute shows that the party’s popularity is significantly lower than that of the main opposition party to the government (Labour). In the poll, 25 percent of people supported the conservative party, one percentage point less than the previous poll conducted two weeks ago.
The increasing popularity of rival conservative parties
Rishi Sunak’s popularity decline means increasing support for rival parties. On the other hand, 48% of people have declared their support for the Labor Party led by Keir Starmer, which has increased by one percentage point compared to the previous round. According to this report, the Liberal Democratic Party received 9%, the Green Party 5%, and the Reform Party 5% of the votes.
The trend of the declining popularity of the conservative party
The decline in the popularity of the conservative ruling party started at the end of the prime ministership of Boris Johnson. It fell after the disclosure of the mentioned violations during the general quarantine and the government’s economic austerity program. Then the controversial economic agenda of the Liz Truss government, which caused severe financial turmoil in the UK, aggravated the situation. Despite the promises of the Rishi Sunak government, the ruling party’s popularity has not improved. Rishi Sunak’s decline in popularity could lead to conservatives’ defeat in the upcoming elections.
Intensification of economic uncertainty and instability
UK’s Conservatives were hoping for calm from the new leader of their party and government after the chaos of the past months. The new prime minister was expected to end the confusion caused by the Ukraine war, which has caused British markets for the past few months. Sunak was supposed to calm the troubled minds and usher in a phase of new and stable conditions in his conservative party and the country. Conservatives wanted to see government business in the hands of a fantastic financial expert, especially in the new economic crisis. Rishi Sunak’s popularity decline is worrying for conservatives.
Increasing doubts about Rishi Sunak’s efficacy
Sunak solemnly promised justice and responsibility in front of the door of No. 10 Downing Street when the parliamentary faction elected him as the leader of the party and the government a month ago. But doubts about Sunak’s claim have grown in a short time. So, when Sunak gave his first major foreign policy speech at a London banquet and announced an evolutionary approach to the field, opinions about him were mixed, and there was a dispute.
Confusion of the British over Rishi Sunak’s approaches
The Prime Minister of the UK started to confuse his fellow citizens with his approaches not long ago. For example, he did not show any interest in participating in the COP27 climate summit in Egypt this month. After a while, he gave in under pressure and went to Sharm el-Sheikh with a complete change of his decision to participate in this summit. On the other hand, many conservatives were confused by the behaviour of their new Prime Minister, Adel, when choosing some of his ministers.
Rishi Sunak’s inappropriate appointments
The fact that Sunak appointed the far-right Suella Braverman as home secretary was questionable. After all, just six days before Sunak’s appointment, Braverman had been forced to resign from his position on the Truss for violating departmental rules, and she was back there as soon as she fell. Former education secretary Gavin Williamson, surprisingly brought into the cabinet by Sunak, was immediately caught in the crossfire. Williamson, who has quit governments twice in the scandal, was forced to resign for the third time in as many days after being found guilty of mistreating subordinates.
Aggressive behavior of the deputy PM with employees
British Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, whom Sunak made deputy prime minister, now has to face charges similar to Williamson’s. Raab should face a formal investigation. Several British media outlets reported that Raab had been aggressive with staff. The Guardian wrote that he had already spread a culture of fear in the Ministry of Justice during his first term under former Prime Minister Boris. According to Guardian, when the 48-year-old returned to his previous job in October, several officials were offered a transfer to another newspaper. He is one of Sunak’s closest allies and has returned to both crucial posts during his prime ministership.
Increasing dissatisfaction with the budget proposed by the government
Of course, the newly arrived PM of the UK has caused the greatest displeasure from all parties with the budget that Jeremy Hunt, his Treasury Secretary, presented to the House of Commons a few days ago. Representatives of the right-wing conservative party commented bitterly on several measures in this plan and did not consider it conservative. Many conservatives, in particular, cannot forgive Sunak for the fact that, by raising taxes even further, he has brought the country’s highest rates in 70 years.
General strikes in the UK
This is while the economic situation of the UK has been in the worst case in the last half-century, and Sunak stated that people should not expect the government to be the solution to all their problems. According to the Bank of England governor, the country has entered a long period of economic stagnation and announced a financial storm. The current situation has caused widespread dissatisfaction, and many public sectors have gone on strike at different times. Last month, massive demonstrations were held in London in support of holding snap parliamentary elections, and the pressure for the Conservatives to step down from power continues.
Riots against the PM in the working-class UK
In working-class northern and central England, where the Conservatives won large swaths of the electorate for the first time in 2019, there is renewed unrest as they no longer believe that the Conservatives want to help the country’s left behind. This was Boris Johnson’s promise. More voters in these areas have felt the sharp rise in energy prices and the cost of living in general over the past few months. They fear that Sunak, who belongs to a billionaire family, does not understand what her penniless compatriots are going through.
Record inflation, high taxes, a crisis in public services, cuts to the health care system, and the start of a possible prolonged recession have unsettled British conservatives. Despite a fresh start under Sunak’s leadership, the Tories still trail the opposition Labor Party by around 20 percentage points in the polls. This indicates the downward slope of the popularity of the conservative ruling party led by Rishi Sunak and the meagre chance of this party winning the upcoming elections. Rishi Sunak’s popularity decline will mean that the Conservatives will no longer be able to maintain a majority in the House of Commons in the next election.
