‘A Conservative Chernobyl’: Can The Tories Survive Their Election Disaster?

It’s just as well Rishi Sunak and his wife are richer than the King, because his next phone bill will be enormous.

The former prime minister spent last weekend phoning round the 175 former Tory MPs who lost their seats at the election.

“He felt it was the right thing to do,” one Sunak ally told HuffPost UK. “He feels a personal responsibility for all those who lost their seats.

“They committed their lives to public service and he wants to make sure they are supported in this difficult moment.”

Sunak made clear his remorse for his party’s worst ever election result when he made his first Commons appearance as leader of the opposition on Tuesday.

“For those of us in my party, let me begin with a message for those who are no longer sitting behind me: I am sorry,” he said.

“We have lost too many diligent, community-spirited representatives whose wisdom and expertise will be missed in the debates and the discussions ahead.”

But the former PM’s warm words have cut little ice with many in the party, who blame him for the disaster which befell them on July 4 as Keir Starmer’s Labour Party secured a 174-seat landslide majority.

Some of his most trenchant critics attended the Popular Conservatism conference in Westminster earlier this week, where the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg and Suella Braverman set out their prognosis of where it all went wrong for their party.

“It was a terrible result,” former Tory MEP David Campbell-Bannerman, told those present. “I call it a ‘Conservative Chernobyl’, a kind of meltdown for the Conservatives.”

Criticism of the former PM is not just confined to those on the Tory right, however.

One former cabinet minister on the party’s moderate wing said Sunak’s decision to call a summer election was a mistake.

“The best time to have it would have been to coincide with the local elections in May,” the MP said. “Tying it in with that campaign would have given us a better chance of saving more MPs and councillors. Calling it when he did made no sense.”

The improving economic picture, confirmed by higher than expected growth figures on Thursday, has led some Conservatives to conclude that Sunak would have been better to wait until the end of the year to go to the country, thereby giving voters more time to feel the benefit in their pockets.

That was disputed by one Sunak adviser, who said the calculation inside No.10 was that, to paraphrase D:Ream’s New Labour anthem, things could only get worse the longer he hung on.

“All the data we were seeing showed that hundreds of thousands of people were coming off their fixed rate mortgages every month and suddenly seeing their bills go up by hundreds of pounds because interest rates are much higher than they were,” they told HuffPost UK.

“Even if the Bank of England knocked half a per cent off the base rate, it would have made no difference to them. The longer we waited, more people were becoming poorer and inevitably blaming the government. That’s why he decided to go for July.”

The Tory Party is now in a state of limbo until a new leader is found, but that may not be until the end of the year as the party picks over the bones of what happened last week.

Sunak has said he will stay on until the mechanism for choosing his successor is decided, which suggests that an interim leader may have to be appointed to mind the shop until a permanent one is elected.

However, some believe Sunak owes it to his party to hang around until his replacement is known.

“After leading us to our worst defeat ever, the least he can day is stay on as leader for a few more months to help steady the ship,” said one MP.

“All he would really need to do is ask six questions a week at PMQs. Surely that’s not too much to ask.”

Sunak faced his remaining MPs at a meeting of the party’s 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers on Wednesday, urging them to unite to ensure they hold the new Labour government to account.

It was, by all accounts, a relatively harmonious affair, with none of those present taking the opportunity to criticise the former PM to his face for the disastrous election campaign he ran.

Outside the room, however, party grandee Sir Edward Leigh – newly installed as the Father of the House of Commons as its longest-serving male MP – was clear about the direction he believed the party should be heading in.

“We have to be a proper Conservative Party,” he said. “We have to stand for something, otherwise we’re going nowhere. Because all these people who voted for Reform will simply go on voting Reform.

“If the right-wing vote is divided, we will never win again. These people are not going to go away. We need to bring back the people who voted Reform, who want a proper Conservative Party.

“We need to have a proper leadership election now, and whoever becomes leader must articulate this point of view. Unless we bring back those Reform people we are doomed to failure.”

But another Tory MP told HuffPost UK that the party’s problems could not simply be solved by a leap to the right.

“If you look at those who voted Reform, about half of them can never be won over because they’re the ones who used to vote Ukip and the Brexit Party,” he said. “We can never be right-wing enough for them.

“But the rest are traditional Tory voters who just wanted to give us a kicking this time around and are in play next time. We can get them back by being a competent, sensible Conservative Party – not by veering off to the right.”

The fallout from the Chernobyl disaster lasted for decades. The result of the fight for the soul of the Tory Party will determine how long it is before they are ready to govern again.

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‘I Am Sorry’: Rishi Sunak Apologises To Former Tory MPs Who Lost Their Seats In Labour Landslide

Rishi Sunak has apologised to the hundreds of former Tory MPs who lost their seats in last week’s Labour landslide.

The former prime minister said “I am sorry” as he addressed the Commons for the first time as leader of the opposition.

Parliament returned just four days after Labour won a 174-seat majority as the Conservatives lost two-thirds of their MPs.

Keir Starmer, in his first Commons speech as prime minister, had earlier said it was time to “replace the politics of performance with a politics of service”.

Flanked by the 120 fellow Tory MPs who survived last week’s electoral massacre, Sunak said: “For those of us in my party, let me begin with a message for those who are no longer sitting behind me: I am sorry.

“We have lost too many diligent, community-spirited representatives whose wisdom and expertise will be missed in the debates the discussions ahead.

“It is important after 14 years in government that the Conservative Party rebuilds. So now we will take up the crucial role of His Majesty’s official opposition professionally, effectively and humbly.

“And restoring trust begins my remembering that being here is an opportunity to do what those we serve expect of us, and in our case that means holding the new government to account.”

For the first time in 14 years, Labour’s MPs are sitting on the government benches, even though there is not enough room for all 411 of them.

Speaking after Lindsay Hoyle was re-elected as Commons Speaker, Starmer said: “The need to restore trust should weigh heavily on every member here, new and returning alike. We all have a duty to show that politics can be a force for good.

“So whatever our political difference, it is now time to turn the page, unite in a common endeavour of national renewal, and make this new parliament a parliament of service.”

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Rishi Sunak’s Furniture Is Seen Being Removed From Downing Street As Labour Era Begins

The former prime minister’s time behind the famous black door of No.10 came to an end in the wake of the Tories’ catastrophic defeat in last week’s general election.

A lorry from the Platimum Move removals firm was spotted parked in Downing Street this afternoon.

Removal men were also photographed carrying a chest of drawers, a sofa and a bed into it.

Starmer and his family are expected to formally move into their new grace-and-favour home in the coming days.

However, it is not known yet whether they will live in the flat above No.10 or in the larger property above No.11, which has been used by several prime ministers dating back to Tony Blair’s time in office.

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9 Key Takeaways From A Very Eventful Election Night

Labour won by a landslide while the Tories had some of their worst ever results – but this election also painted a very complex picture for Westminster.

Five independents were elected, while the rise of the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and the Green Party show that last night was not just a tale of two parties.

Here’s a look at all the main stories from overnight.

1. Huge Labour victory

With a couple more seats still to be counted, the party took a whopping 412 seats, only six fewer than it did when Tony Blair was the helm in his famous landslide of 1997.

That works out to a gain of at least 211 seats compared to the 2019 general election.

It means a comfortable majority is ahead for Keir Starmer, as Labour were the largest party in England, Scotland and Wales.

The so-called “red wall” in the North of England was completely restored, too.

However, it’s not all plain sailing – Starmer comes to office on the smallest share of the vote of any winning party in UK history as the votes were widespread across many constituencies but not particularly high in number in any seats.

Only 33.7% of voters backed the supposedly reformed Labour, just 1.6% higher than his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn secured in 2019 when he famously lost.

That seems to reflect the general sentiment that support for Labour was more of an anti-Tory tactic rather than an endorsement of Starmer and his party.

Labour leader and incoming Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and wife Victoria enter 10 Downing Street
Labour leader and incoming Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and wife Victoria enter 10 Downing Street

Carl Court via Getty Images

2. Drop in Muslim support for Labour

The party’s flip-flopping over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has had a profound effect on its Muslim supporters.

In constituencies with a large Muslim demographic, support declined by around 23 points to 39%.

But this gave way to the rise of the independents, like ousted Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who was re-elected into his constituency of Islington North.

In fact five pro-Gaza independent candidates were elected in total, outnumbering the total Reform UK candidates.

3. Worst Tory defeat in history

Rishi Sunak may have comfortably held onto his seat in North Yorkshire, but he was easily the biggest loser of the night.

He led the Conservative Party into its worst electoral defeat ever seen, losing 250 seats.

The Tories secured just 121 constituencies as the party’s vote share fell by 19.9 percentage points to 23.7%.

For comparison, John Major’s Conservatives won 30% of the vote share when they endured a huge defeat in 1997.

They will now have zero seats in Wales, and only one in the North East of England and one in the North West.

Many previously “safe” Tory seats were lost overnight, including four of the five constituencies were the last five Conservative leaders were elected.

David Cameron’s Witney went to the Lib Dems as did Theresa May’s Maidenhead.

Meanwhile Boris Johnson’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip, and Liz Truss’s South West Norfolk both went red for Labour.

The share of the vote particularly fell in areas where high numbers backed leaving the EU.

The dramatic night means there’s likely to be a brutal battle to shape the party now, as Tories struggle to decide whether to pull it further right or into the centre.

Outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunal
Outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunal

Christopher Furlong via Getty Images

4. Best Lib Dem result since 1923

The party has secured 71 seats – a whopping increase compared to the 2019 election, where they had only eight, and beating their 2005 record of 62.

They’ve won both new seats and old constituencies back – and ousted four cabinet ministers – albeit on just 12% of the vote share.

The Lib Dems also secured constituencies once held by former PMs David Cameron and Theresa May in their campaign where they targeted Tory areas.

It’s a far cry from the 2019 result when the party leader Jo Swinson unexpectedly lost her seat.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is greeted by supporters
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is greeted by supporters

Gareth Fuller – PA Images via Getty Images

5. SNP in chaos

The Nationalists, who have completely dominated Scottish politics since 2014, secured just nine seats in a major blow to the project for independence.

That’s a drop of 38 representatives in Westminster, with many of their seats going to Labour and a handful going to both the Lib Dems and the Tories.

The SNP’s share of the vote has therefore fallen by 15 points – while Labour’s has increased by 17 in Scotland.

But it’s not a complete wipeout, considering the party still commanding a minority government in the Scottish parliament in Holyrood.

Yet, those seats could soon be at risk in the 2026 devolved election, depending on how Labour’s first few years in parliament goes.

Labour will also have to grapple with the increase of independence supporters among their voters.

6. Reform get a foothold in the Commons

The populist party took votes from the collapse of the Conservative support in many places, secured its first four elected MPs ever.

Party leader Nigel Farage won a seat for the first time (after seven failed attempts over the years) and Tory defector Lee Anderson – the party’s first ever representative in the Commons – was re-elected.

Reform chair Richard Tice and Rupert Lowe were elected, too.

Considering how quickly Reform has managed to gather support – Farage only entered the race two weeks after the election was called – the populists claim they will be able to put serious pressure on Labour in the next five years.

Farage has previously said he wants his party to be the main opposition to Keir Starmer’s party by the time of the next election, and last night said: “We’re coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that.”

7. Green Party get most MPs ever

With four MPs in Bristol Central, Waveney Valley, North Herefordshire and Brighton Pavilion, the Greens had their best set of results ever.

Until now, the party has only ever held the East Sussex constituency of Brighton Pavilion, giving them just one seat in parliament.

But last night, the party’s co-leader Carla Denyer overturned Labour’s shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire with a 10,000 majority.

The other co-leader Adrian Ramsay defeated a 22,000 Tory majority in Waveney Valley, with a swing to the Greens of 32.1%.

Overall, it is expected to take 7% of the overall vote share – more than double what it secured in the 2019 election.

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer after casting her vote in the 2024 General Election at Redland Park United Reformed Church in Bristol.
Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer after casting her vote in the 2024 General Election at Redland Park United Reformed Church in Bristol.

Jonathan Brady – PA Images via Getty Images

8. Sinn Fein hold on

The Republican party held onto its seven seats in Westminster, although it does not take them in protest to Northern Ireland being part of the UK.

It means most of the NI seats in Westminster will remain empty.

Sinn Fein is already the largest in local government and in the devolved government of Stormont.

And while the Democratic Unionist Party lost three of its eight seats, with supporters moving to other unionist parties, there was not a noteworthy shift in the vote share between Unionists and Nationalists.

9. Fall in overall voter turnout

This was the second lowest turnout ever recorded with only 60% of the electorate turning up, rivalled only by the 59% seen in 2001.

That suggests apathy and frustration may be more prevalent among the electorate than politicians realise.

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Rishi Sunak Has Insisted He Is ‘Proud’ Of The Tories’ Disastrous Election Campaign

Rishi Sunak has insisted has insisted he is “proud” of the Tories’ disastrous general election campaign.

The prime minister made the surprising comment during an ill-tempered interview with Laura Kuenssberg this morning.

With just four days to go until the country goes to the polls, the Conservatives remain as far behind Labour as they were when Sunak called the election nearly six weeks ago.

Since then, the PM has been hit by a string of gaffes, controversy and scandal.

Despite this, Sunak said: “This campaign is something that I am proud of, and that’s what I’m here to talk about.”

An incredulous Kuenssberg replied: “Really? After everything, you’re proud of the campaign.”

The PM said: “Yes, I am.”

Sunak’s troubles began on the very first day of the campaign, when he was soaked to the skin while announcing the election date outside the front door of No.10.

He was also forced to apologise following a furious backlash after he left the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings early.

The last two weeks of the campaign have also been overshadowed by the Tory gambling scandal, which saw Sunak eventually dump two candidates accused of betting on the date of the election.

Two senior party official have also taken leaves of absence over the controversy, while one of Sunak’s close protection team has been arrested.

Dozens of opinion polls throughout the campaign have also confirmed that the Tories are on course for their worst ever election result, with predictions that they could even end up with fewer than 100 seats.

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Rishi Sunak Says He Was Left ‘Hurt And Angry’ By Reform Activist Who Called Him A ‘F****** P***’

Rishi Sunak has told how he was left “hurt and angry” after a Reform UK activist was filmed calling him a “fucking P***”.

The prime minister said his two daughters should not have to hear racist insults being hurled at their father.

An undercover reporter for Channel 4 News secretly filmed Reform supporter Andrew Parker saying: “I’ve always been a Tory voter, but what annoys me is that fucking P*** we’ve got in. What good is he? You tell me, you know. He’s just wet. Fucking useless.”

Reacting today, a clearly-emotional Sunak said: “When my two daughters have to see and hear Reform people who campaign for Nigel Farage calling me an ‘effing P***’ it hurts and it makes me angry, and I think he has some questions to answer.

“And I don’t repeat those words lightly, I do so deliberately because this is too important not to call out for what it is.”

Channel 4 have also denied claims that Parker is an actor who was paid to be in the video.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stoked the conspiracy with a post on X.

But a Channel 4 spokesperson said: “We strongly stand by our rigorous and duly impartial journalism which speaks for itself.

“We met Mr Parker for the first time at Reform UK party headquarters, where he was a Reform party canvasser.

“We did not pay the Reform UK canvasser or anyone else in this report. Mr Parker was not known to Channel 4 News and was filmed covertly via the undercover operation.”

Parker himself told the Press Association that he apologised for what he had said.

“Of course I’m sorry,” he said. “They were off-the-cuff things that everyone says.”

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‘One Of The Sickest Ever’: Rishi Sunak Slammed Over Latest Labour Attack Ad

Rishi Sunak has been slammed over the Tories’ latest controversial Labour attack ad.

The graphic, which the prime minister posted on X, shows a man, a woman and a child with their hands above their heads with the message: Don’t Surrender Your Family’s Future To Labour.

Sunak’s accompanying message said: “I will never stop fighting for this country.”

It follows on from other hard-hitting attack ads produced by the Conservatives as election day looms and the polls continue to show Labour well ahead.

A week ago, the party was criticised for a video appearing to show a red carpet being rolled out on a beach for migrants arriving by boat with the message: “Labour’s approach to illegal immigration.”

The latest attempt to scare voters into voting Tory was comprehensively taken apart by social media users.

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Tories Heading For Electoral Wipeout As New Poll Predicts 250-Seat Labour Majority

Labour is on course for a 250-seat Commons majority, according to yet another poll predicting wipeout for the Tories.

The Focaldata survey forecast that the Conservatives are set to lose a staggering 262 seats on July 4, leaving the party with just 110 MPs.

Labour, meanwhile, will gain 250 to leave them on 450 seats.

The Lib Dems will also see their number of MPs almost treble to 50, according to the poll, while the SNP would slump to just 16 MPs, down from the 48 they won in 2019.

The poll was conducted using the so-called “MRP” method, which uses a bigger than normal sample.

It also uses demographic data to calculate what the result would be on a seat-by-seat basis.

The Focaldata poll echoes a number of such surveys carried out by other pollsters since the campaign started, all of which pointed to huge Labour victories.

However, Focaldata’s chief research officer, James Kanagasooriam, said the final result could be even worse for the Tories as many of the seats they are forecast to win could end up falling another way.

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The Tory Betting Scandal Presented Rishi Sunak With An Opportunity To Look Strong – He Blew It

They say that bad things come in threes. If only Rishi Sunak was that lucky.

Ever since he called the election on May 22, the prime minister has been hit by a litany of misfortune – some self-inflicted – which has completely derailed the Tories’ election campaign.

The latest – and possibly most damaging – one is the revelation that senior Tories close to the prime minister are accused of placing bets on the date of the election.

Two of them are Conservative candidates, one of whom – former Sunak parliamentary aide Craig Williams – has admitted he did it.

The Tories’ chief data officer, Nick Mason, and campaign director Tony Lee have each taken a “leave of absence” after also being accused.

The other alleged punter we currently know about is one of the PM’s close protection officers, or at least he was until he was suspended from duty by the Metropolitan Police.

It is the force’s different approach to disciplinary matters which have led to Sunak facing fresh accusations that he is weak, a label already attached to the prime minister by 61% of the public.

Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth said: “Sunak promised integrity, professionalism and accountability, instead his weakness means he has overseen the same levels of sleaze and scandal that have come to epitomise the last 14 years of Tory government.

“Rishi Sunak needs to take immediate action against all implicated.”

Home secretary James Cleverly endured a tough grilling from Trevor Phillips on Sky News this morning over the PM’s apparent inaction.

“Why doesn’t he, like any other employer might do in this situation, call in the alleged offenders, ask them ‘did you place a bet or did you not place a bet’ and if the answer is yes, sack them?” Phillips asked.

After Cleverly claimed No.10′s hands are tied while the Gambling Commission investigates, Phillips told him: “No, no, no – he’s the prime minister. These people work for him. He can do whatever he wants.

“If it were you, he’d say ‘James, tell me the truth. Did you or did you not?’. And you, being an honest man, would say yes or no.”

The minister said: “I don’t necessarily know the process in detail, but the Gambling Commission is the appropriate body for this. They have said they’re investigating and they’ve also said it is inappropriate for us to comment on what is a live investigation.”

But Phillips hit back: “He’s the prime minister – he doesn’t get told what to do by the Gambling Commission.”

For his part, Sunak has said the affair has left him “very angry” and has pledged that any Tories found guilty will be booted out of the party.

However, regardless of the reason for Sunak’s unwillingness to take action now, the impression it has given is of a prime minister at the mercy of events rather than taking charge of them.

With less than two weeks to go until election day, the Tory betting scandal has merely confirmed their impression of a PM who can’t take the big decisions, which is one of many reasons why time is fast running out on his period in office.

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‘A Sign Of Moral Decay’: Trevor Phillips Clashes With James Cleverly Over Top Tories Betting On Election Date

Trevor Phillips clashed with James Cleverly over the betting scandal which has sent the Tories’ election campaign into meltdown.

The Sky News presenter said it was a sign of the party’s “moral decay” and demanded to know why Rishi Sunak had not sacked those alleged to be involved.

It came as the Conservatives’ chief data officer, Nick Mason, became the latest senior official to be dragged into the affair.

According to The Sunday Times, he has taken a leave of absence amid allegations he placed dozens of bets on the date of the election.

Two Tory candidates, the party’s director of campaigns and one of the PM’s close protection officers are also under investigation.

On Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips this morning, the presenter told the home secretary: “The prime minister talked two weeks ago about the moral mission of your government to reform welfare.

“Let’s talk about morality. Is it a sign of the Conservative Party’s moral decay that some of your colleagues were more interested in stuffing their own pockets by gambling on the date of the election than on helping hard-pressed families hit by the cost of living?”

Cleverly replied: “I’m not in any way going to defend people who placed bets on that There is an investigation by the Gambling Commission and we have been told very, very clearly that we are not to discuss the investigations.”

Phillips went on to ask the minister why Sunak had not taken firm action against those involved.

He said: “The prime minister claims to be furious, but he says it’s all got to go through this process. Why doesn’t he, like any other employer might do in this situation, call in the alleged offenders, ask them ‘did you place a bet or did you not place a bet’ … and if the answer is yes, sack them?”

After Cleverly said that was the Gambling Commission’s job, Phillips told him: “No, no, no – he’s the prime minister. These people work for him. He can do whatever he wants.

“If it were you, he’d say ‘James, tell me the truth. Did you or did you not?’. And you, being an honest man, would say yes or no.”

But the home secretary replied: “I don’t necessarily know the process in detail, but the Gambling Commission is the appropriate body for this. They have said they’re investigating and they’ve also said it is inappropriate for us to comment on what is a live investigation.”

Phillips hit back: “He’s the prime minister – he doesn’t get told what to do by the Gambling Commission.”

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