British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is marking 100 days in 10 Downing Street this week, a milestone that effectively doubles the duration of Liz Truss’s brief and tumultuous term. While he has managed to stabilize the financial markets following Truss’s chaotic leadership, Sunak has little to celebrate. The country is grappling with double-digit inflation, leading to a winter of hardship for many citizens. On the day before his mini-anniversary, up to half a million workers are set to escalate a series of strikes, disrupting schools, railways, and other public services. Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer has been portraying the wealthy premier as “weak” and out of touch, as both parties prepare for an election likely to occur next year. In a pointed exchange during a parliamentary session last Wednesday, Starmer questioned whether Sunak was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities of his role.
The Labour leader has been relentless in highlighting the ongoing crises facing the UK, which have persisted since Brexit and the COVID pandemic, as well as the “sleaze” associated with the Conservative Party. Strikes have also involved ambulance drivers, who are joining nurses in their first-ever walkout. In response to the unions’ pay demands, Sunak has insisted that meeting these requests would only exacerbate the already high inflation rates. Senior minister Michael Gove defended Sunak against accusations of being an uninspiring leader, emphasizing that effective management of public funds and services is essential. He stated that the government has achieved stability and is now focusing on areas of performance.
Sunak faces significant challenges as he attempts to replicate Conservative leader John Major’s unexpected victory over Labour in 1992. Upon taking office, he pledged to bring “integrity, professionalism, and accountability” to the government, contrasting sharply with his two predecessors. However, he has found himself on the defensive due to the tax issues surrounding Conservative chairman Nadhim Zahawi, who until recently was a cabinet member. Starmer accused Sunak’s government of “moral bankruptcy,” as many lower-income voters are forced to choose between food and heating this winter. In an effort to buy time, Sunak initiated an internal inquiry into Zahawi, who admitted to being “careless” with his taxes and had to pay a substantial amount to the UK tax agency while serving as finance minister. Following the inquiry’s report, which was released on Sunday and proved uncomfortable for both Zahawi and Sunak, the Prime Minister ultimately decided to dismiss Zahawi.
At 42, Sunak is Britain’s youngest leader since 1812 and has adopted a smooth-talking, technocratic approach to governance, shaped by his successful career in private finance. Opinion polls indicate that he has somewhat restored the Conservative Party’s reputation for economic competence after the brief “Trussonomics” experiment. Nevertheless, Labour maintains an average lead of 20 points in the polls. Right-wing members of the Conservative Party, including former Brexit minister David Frost, have criticized Sunak for lacking vision, urging him to provide a clear direction for the party. Sunak hopes to address one ongoing issue by reforming post-Brexit trade rules in Northern Ireland, where disputes over the protocol have hindered self-governance in Belfast. However, any agreement with Brussels could provoke backlash from hardline Brexiteers within his party, many of whom accuse Sunak of betraying former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and may cause unrest if the upcoming local elections in May do not favor the Conservatives.
Tim Bale, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London and author of an upcoming book on the Conservatives since Brexit, believes Sunak has missed opportunities to establish a fresh start from Johnson’s leadership. He remarked that while Sunak may have inherited a challenging situation, he had a genuine chance to signal significant change at the top. However, Bale suggests that the early polling results indicate Sunak has not met expectations, stating, “If I were to award him a C plus, I’d probably be erring on the side of generosity. Most voters wouldn’t go any higher than a D.”
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