Rishi Sunak is on track to lose power in the next general election. Who will win is less clear
, as the Conservative Party’s foot soldiers pushed their final round of leaflets through front doors in towns across England, Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, was addressing a gathering at the Reform Club in London. The occasion was the fifth birthday of Onward, a think-tank close to Mr Sunak’s administration . Mr Sunak teased the ambitious things who were mingling with members of his cabinet.
Local elections tend to be countercyclical: parties gain ground locally when they are in opposition nationally, and lose it when in office. By early evening on May 5th it was clear that Mr Sunak’s party was taking a beating. With 222 of 230 councils declared, the Conservatives had lost 1,038 councillors, surpassing the gloomier end of the party’s expectations.
Labour says that its governing majority would depend on its performance in Scotland, where it hopes to make major gains at the expense of the Scottish National Party, and which sat out this round of local elections. Perhaps. But Philip Cowley of Queen Mary University of London notes that Labour’s performance in the local elections was weaker than those clocked up by the party and by the Tories in comparable votes a year before each regained power in 1997 and 2010 respectively.
Mr Sunak warned the partygoers on May 3rd that voters would give his party a kicking “for all that has happened in the past year”—a period that included the tumultuous exit of Mr Johnson from office in July 2022 and the dismal 45-day premiership of Ms Truss. In time, he said, voters would reward the stability that his administration had restored, as the National Health Service recovers from the impact of the covid-19 pandemic and inflation abates.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Rishi Sunak 'disappointed' Sue Gray did not comply with investigation into new job with LabourRishi Sunak thinks it is 'obviously disappointing' that Sue Gray did not speak to the government investigation into her taking a job with Labour, Number 10 has said
Read more »
Rishi Sunak urged to commit to ‘fair and fast payment’ of any WASPI compensationMillions of women born in the 1950s were affected by the change to the State Pension age.
Read more »
Boris Johnson appears not to wear seatbelt in 'repeat of Rishi Sunak gaffe'It seems to be a repeat of events in January when Rishi Sunak was fined after posting a promo video for levelling-up funding showing him not wearing a seatbelt.
Read more »
Polls close in local elections after Rishi Sunak warned of 'hard night' aheadPOLLS across England have shut after millions took to the ballot box today to vote in local elections. Across 230 town halls in England, 8,000 seats are up for grabs. Winning candidates will play a…
Read more »