Tag Archives: Rishi Sunak

Tories Heading For An Electoral ‘Iceberg’ Under Rishi Sunak, Says Simon Clarke

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The Tories are heading towards an electoral “iceberg” unless Rishi Sunak is dumped as leader, Simon Clarke has warned.

The former cabinet minister – who last night called for the prime minister to be ousted by his MPs – said the Conservatives are heading for “a shattering defeat” unless they change course.

His comments, in an interview with the BBC, is a further challenge to Sunak’s authority as he struggles to turn around his party’s fortunes.

In an article in today’s Daily Telegraph, Clarke said the Tories were “meekly sleepwalking towards an avoidable annihilation” with Sunak at the helm.

That led to a furious backlash from senior Conservatives, including former ministers David Davis, Liam Fox and Priti Patel.

But Clarke told the BBC he was undeterred and re-iterated his desire to see Sunak booted out of No.10 before the general election.

He said: “I’ve incurred some pretty hostile comments from a number of people and look, you know, in every since I’m a big guy, I can take that and I totally respect the strong views that something like this evokes, right.

“No one likes the guy who’s shouting ‘iceberg’. But I suspect that people will be even less happy if we hit the iceberg. And we are on course to do that.”

The former Treasury secretary added: “I want a Conservative government that delivers for communities like mine and for our country. And I really worry that we are on course for a shattering defeat.”

Clarke said it was “a moment of decision for the Conservative Party” and pointed out that the opinion polls had got even worse for the Tories under Sunak.

“There is really compelling evidence that we are on course for what I would say is an avoidable catastrophe,” he said.

“I think there is a very real risk that because we’re not connecting with the British public because, frankly, the prime minister is not listening to the things that the public really wants us to address, in particular on migration, that we end up with a very serious election defeat and then a decade of decline or more under Keir Starmer.”

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Simon Clarke Calls On Rishi Sunak To Be Ousted As Prime Minister

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Simon Clarke has called on Rishi Sunak to be ousted as prime minister.

The former cabinet minister said the Tories “will be massacred” if Sunak leads them into the general election.

Clarke – a close ally of former PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss – is the first Conservative MP to break ranks and call for Sunak to go.

His dramatic intervention comes after a succession of opinion polls since Christmas showed Labour’s already-huge lead over the Tories getting even bigger.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Clarke said: “I know many MPs are afraid another change of leader would look ridiculous.

“But what could be more ridiculous than meekly sleepwalking towards an avoidable annihilation because we were not willing to listen to what the public are telling us so clearly?”

He added: “We have a clear choice. Stick with Rishi Sunak, take the inevitable electoral consequences, and give the Left a blank cheque to change Britain as they see fit.

“Or we can change leader, and give our country and party a fighting chance.”

Clarke was one of 11 Tory rebels who last week voted against Sunak’s flagship Rwanda bill, saying it would not work.

A Conservative Party spokesperson told The Sun: “This is a self-indulgent attempt to undermine the government at a critical moment for the country.

“He may claim to be helping the party but the only person he is doing any favours for is Sir Keir Starmer.”

Senior Tory MPs rallied round Sunak in the wake of Clarke’s criticism.

Former Brexit secretary David David said: “This is getting silly. The party and the country are sick and tired of MPs putting their own leadership ambitions ahead of the UK’s best interests.”

Former defence secretary Liam Fox said: “This is not the time for self indulgence and tribalism in the party.

“Those who have an agenda to destabilise the government in an election year should understand the consequences. Having been on the front bench for all 13 years in opposition, it is a miserable place. Be warned.”

Meanwhile, ex-home secretary Priti Patel said: “At this critical time for our country, with challenges at home and abroad, our party must focus on the people we serve and deliver for the country.

“Engaging in facile and divisive self indulgence only serves our opponents, it’s time to unite and get on with the job.”

Clarke’s comments come just a week after No.10 election guru Isaac Levido told Tory MPs to unite or lose the next election.

Speaking at a meeting of the backbench 1922 committeem, he said: “Let me be clear. Divided parties fail. It’s time to get serious – I am fighting to win this election, and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe it was possible. We all need to be be fighting to win this election.”

Pat McFadden, Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator, said: “Labour will focus on serving the British people whilst the Tories form another circular firing squad.

“There are many good reasons for getting rid of this clapped out Conservative government and liberating the British people from endless bouts of Tory infighting is certainly one of them.”

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “It is utterly ludicrous that the Conservative Party is even discussing installing a fourth prime minister without even giving voters a say.

“The Conservatives are once again fighting like rats in a sack while families face soaring bills and an NHS crisis.

“People are sick and tired of this never ending Conservative Party soap opera. It’s time for Rishi Sunak to give voters the chance to put an end to this farce and call a general election.”

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‘Hypocrite’ Rishi Sunak Called Out Over Warning To ‘Unelected’ House Of Lords Over Rwanda Bill

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Rishi Sunak has faced a backlash after urging the unelected House of Lords not to block his Rwanda plan.

In a press conference on Thursday, the prime minister pleaded with peers not to “frustrate the will of the people” as he said the UK should be “taking control of our borders”. Both phrase are an echo of Boris Johnson’s Brexit strategy at the 2019 general election.

Sunak, speaking the morning after he saw off a Tory rebellion to win the Commons’ backing for his flagship Safety of Rwanda Bill, said passing the legislation was now “an urgent national priority”.

He said: “There is now only one question: will the opposition in the appointed House of Lords try and frustrate the will of the people as expressed by the elected House or will they get on board and do the right thing? It is as simple as that.”

The draft legislation will now go to the Lords, where its opponents will try to amend it or kill it altogether.

But Sunak was labelled a “hypocrite” for his comments since the prime minister has yet to face the electorate, having become leader of the Conservative Party leader following a ballot of party members, and then only after the failure of the Liz Truss premiership.

Labour MP Jess Phillips said: “The will of the people which Mr Sunak has never actually tested being as he is unelected at the PM. Perhaps he would like to test that will?”

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Tory ‘Rebels’ Face Ridicule After Rwanda Bill Climbdown

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The little Conservative rebellion that couldn’t has been mocked online after failing to bruise Rishi Sunak.

There was breathless talk after 60 Tory MPs voted against the Sunak government in an effort to make the Rwanda asylum legislation tougher. It saw two party deputy chairmen quit their party positions in order to vote against the government on amendments, leading to comment the revolt could spell the end for the 15-month-old administration.

But a day later, despite zero changes to the Safety of Rwanda Bill, a decisive rebellion failed to materialise as Sunak’s troubled policy climbed a significantly parliamentary hurdle – sailing through the Commons with a protest from just 11 Tory MPs.

In the hours before the legislation’s third reading, critics of the bill indicated they would reluctantly vote for it despite many on the party’s powerful right-wing thinking it doesn’t go far enough in deterring migration to the UK.

Westminster has become obsessed with the stalled immigration scheme, often thanks to the Tory party in-fighting that has made for powerful headlines.

But the latest merry-go-round has drawn criticism of the long-running saga – particularly since the factionalism has been self-styled as the Tories split into “Five Families”, a reference to organised crime families made famous in films such as The Godfather.

European Research Group (ERG) chair Mark Francois has been among the big thorn in Sunak’s side, but now social media has had quite enough.

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Rishi Sunak Sees Off Tory Rebels As Commons Backs His Rwanda Plan

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MPs have backed Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan as a threatened Tory rebellion fizzled out.

The House of Commons voted 320 to 276 to support the Safety of Rwanda Bill, which the prime minister says will see deportation flights to the east African country finally get off the ground.

The result will come as a huge relief to the PM, who last night suffered his biggest rebellion since entering Downing Street.

Around 60 MPs defied the Tory whip to back amendments aimed at toughening up the legislation to allow ministers to ignore European court rulings and make it more difficult for asylum seekers to appeal against deportation.

However, just 11 of them voted against the entire bill this evening, handing the government a comfortable majority of 44.

The bill will now go to the House of Lords, where it may be amended by opponents of the Rwanda policy, before it returns to the Commons.

That could potentially set up a fresh battle after the rebel Tories said they would then table a fresh set of amendments to toughen it up again.

Sunak hopes that once it is on the statute books, the new law will allow flights to Rwanda to take off in the spring and form a key part of his pledge to “stop the boats” carrying asylum seekers across the Channel.

However, any deportations are certain to be appealed against, teeing up yet more legal wrangling which would delay the flights once again.

Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: Tonight is no victory for Rishi Sunak, no matter how he might try to twist it.

“Days of Conservative chaos and infighting has left the prime minister’s authority shot. He has proved again and again that he cannot lead his own party, let alone the country.”

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Tories Mocked For ‘Better Call Keir’ Attack On Starmer

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The Conservative Party has faced ridicule after likening Keir Starmer to Bob Odenkirk’s character in the hit US TV show Better Call Saul.

Highlighting the Labour leader’s time as a criminal defence barrister is gearing up to be one of the Tory election attack lines in the run-up to this year’s vote.

At prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, Rishi Sunak raised Starmer’s decision to advise the soon-to-be-banned Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir during his legal career.

Labour has said Starmer had been asked to give advice to Hizb ut-Tahri in a legal dispute between the group and the German government.

He did not formally represent them, moving on to become director of public prosecutions shortly after, they said.

But the Conservative party later doubled down on the messaging, putting out a message on social media that brought Saul Goodman – the notorious fictional criminal lawyer played by Odenkirk – into play.

It read: “Are you a terrorist in need of legal advice? Better call Keir.”

The post from the Tories on X, formerly Twitter, also said: “When Rishi Sunak sees a group chanting jihad on our streets, he bans them. Keir Starmer invoices them.”

But the attempt to undermine Starmer was soon disparaged – with many pointing out that lawyers may not withhold their services based on a client’s conduct, opinions or beliefs, and that somehow the Tories have even managed to boost Starmer’s image.

And a community note attached to the post added that Starmer “went on to prosecute terrorists with links to Hizb ut-Tahrir as director of public prosecutions”, and continued: “There’s is no evidence he invoiced them. Barristers may not withhold services based on a client’s conduct.”

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Rishi Sunak’s Poll Guru Tells Tory MPs To Unite Or Lose Election

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Rishi Sunak’s election guru has warned Tory MPs they need to “get serious” or face being kicked out of government.

Isaac Levido warned that voters would punish the warring party after a new poll showed Labour are on course for a landslide victory later this year.

The YouGov survey, commissioned by Tory donors calling themselves the Conservative British Alliance said Keir Starmer would enter No.10 with a 120-seat majority.

At a special meeting of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers this evening, Levido accused those behind the poll of “throwing in the towel”.

He said: “Let me be clear. Divided parties fail. It’s time to get serious – I am fighting to win this election, and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe it was possible. We all need to be be fighting to win this election.

“People do not want Starmer. They are looking for reasons to vote for us. We must not give them any more reasons not to.”

His comments came as the prime minister faces a growing Tory rebellion over his flagship Rwanda bill.

Two deputy party chairmen, Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith, risked the sack by announcing they will support rebel amendments aimed at making the legislation tougher.

Up to 70 Tory MPs are set to back the proposed changes, which would allow ministers to ignore rulings by the European Court of Human Rights.

Earlier, former cabinet minister Simon Clarke said the bill was currently “riddled with holes” and he would vote against it unless it is changed.

The bill returns to the Commons on Tuesday and Wednesday for MPs to debate and vote on it.

Clarke, who served under Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, said: “I have been clear with the whips that if the bill goes forward unamended, I will be unable to offer it my support.

Sunak today insisted he was willing to talk to the rebels, but stopped short of saying he would accept any of their amendments.

He told GB News: “I’ve always said that I’m happy to have a dialogue with anyone who thinks they might have an idea that will improve the effectiveness of the bill whilst making sure that it’s still legally compliant and maintains Rwanda’s participation in the scheme.

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Tories Slammed Over UK’s ‘Nose-Diving Domestic Human Rights Record’

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The Conservative government has been criticised over the UK’s “nose-diving” record after a “dismal year for human rights”.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has just torn into the UK over the government’s policy decisions from the last year, demolishing its action (or inaction) on migration, LGBTQ+ rights and its foreign policy – to name just a few.

In its 740-page World Report 2024, released on Friday, the specialists left no stone unturned – and concluded that the UK government “eroded domestic human rights protections and reneged on important international obligations.”

The UK director at the organisation, Yasmine Ahmed, added: “The UK had another dismal year for human rights in 2023.”

The report pointed to the government’s 2023 legislation criminalising protesters, the Public Order bill, and its attempts to introduce anti-boycott laws.

HRW criticised the parts of the Conservative Party which are still trying to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights, so that it does not obstruct the Rwanda bill.

Then the scathing report moved onto the new legislation meant to ban those who arrive “irregularly” to the UK – the Illegal Migration Act.

It said this was a “flagrant breach of the UK’s international obligations, including under the UN Refugee Convention”.

“The UK had another dismal year for human rights in 2023.”

– Yasmine Ahmed, UK Director at Human Rights Watch

It also lashed out at the Tories for failing to “take meaningful steps to tackle institutional racism and address past wrongs” within the UK, including those still waiting for compensation from the Windrush scandal.

HRW noted the government had “failed to set social security payments at a level that ensures recipients can enjoy their rights and live with dignity” even amid an ongoing cost of living crisis. It noted how food bank usage, and homelessness, have increased, too.

It then moved onto women’s rights, noticing how the gender pay gap was still a problem, that there have been recent campaign efforts for the government to overhaul outdated abortion laws in England and Wales.

The specialists recognised that there’s been a surge in anti-LGBT violence in the UK too, and called out the “government’s undermining of protections for the rights of trans women and over-representation of LGBT people among the unhoused population.”

PM Rishi Sunak was slammed over the decision to backtrack on key climate policies too, and called to do more to “tackle racial disparities of climate change effects in the UK”.

Britain was praised for its actions highlighting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – but HRW was swift to then criticise it for appearing to be “turning a blind eye to ongoing abuses” in Rwanda amid the plan to deport asylum seekers who arrive “illegally”.

The report added: “UK anti-immigrant policies at home have contributed to the government’s failure to resettle vulnerable Afghans.”

Finally, it touched on the UK’s abstention from a UN Security Council resolution in October calling for full humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the release of Hamas hostages amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

And so, the specialists concluded: “The UK’s nose-diving domestic human rights record undermined its efforts to promote the rule of law and human rights globally.”

These findings come as the Conservatives continue to trail significantly behind Labour in the polls, and less than a year before voters are expected to head to the ballot box.

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Rishi Sunak Warms Of ‘Square One’ With Keir Starmer – And That Doesn’t Sound So Bad To Many

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Rishi Sunak has ditched a central plank of his general election strategy – opting for attacks on the “risks” posed by the Labour Party that has echoes a much-derided tweet from 2015.

The Tory leader has as recently as his party conference in October positioned himself as the “change” candidate, an attempt to draw a line under the last 14 years of Conservative rule. In his keynote address to conference, Sunak said the word “change” 30 times.

But since the weekend, the prime minister has changed his pitch – urging voters to “stick with the plan” and not choose Keir Starmer taking the country back to “square one”.

On Monday, Sunak told a PM Connect event in Lancashire: “The alternative is Keir Starmer, who would just take us back to square one.

“He has been leader of the opposition for four years now and in that time, he hasn’t said what he would do differently. That’s because he doesn’t have a plan. He just snipes from the sidelines instead.”

A Conservative source confirmed to Bloomberg that there has been an “evolution” in Sunak’s thinking.

It reported his new plan – to be a continuity candidate – follows the playbook used by Australian election strategist, Lynton Crosby, who masterminded the unlikely, narrow Tory election victory of 2015.

While the plan worked at the time, one aspect of highlighting the potential dangers of the opposition has become an online punchline. In May 2015, then prime minister David Cameron tweeted ahead of the vote: “Britain faces a simple and inescapable choice – stability and strong government with me, or chaos with Ed Miliband.” The joke is “or chaos with Ed Miliband” – real or imagined – was perhaps a better choice than the tumult brought about by Brexit, two more general elections and three prime ministers since.

And the “square one” strategy has already had some on social media suggesting it’s a good place to be.

Labour shadow cabinet minister Wes Streeting said: “Stick with 14 years of Conservative failure or vote for change with Labour. That’s the choice. Bring it on.”

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Exclusive: Rishi Sunak Accused Of ‘Stuffing’ Public Meeting With Tory Members

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Senior Tories were among the audience at an event billed as a public Q&A with Rishi Sunak, HuffPost UK has learned.

Councillors and party candidates had prime seats at this morning’s ‘PM Connect’ at Accrington Stanley Football Club’s ground in Lancashire.

Some of them could clearly be seen on the front row of the audience as the PM took questions from those present.

A Labour source said: “Our unelected prime minister first refuses to name the date he’ll hold an election. Now he’s stuffing voter events with his supporters. Rishi Sunak is running scared.

“The Tory record is a crashed economy, which left working people saddled with rocketing mortgages and bills. It’s no wonder he won’t face the electorate.

“No amount of stage management can cover up the public desire for change. It’s the power of the vote that Rishi fears.”

But a Conservative spokesperson said: “Around 200 people attended PM connect in Accrington this morning.

“It is hardly surprising that a small number of elected councillors were in attendance along with local candidates who wanted to see the PM.”

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