Rishi Sunak facing rebellion from right-wing Tories after disastrous local election results
Rishi Sunak, the UK’s Prime Minister, is facing a challenge from the right-wing of his party after a series of calamitous local election results. The Conservative Party suffered significant losses, including almost 500 council seats, a defeat in the West Midlands mayoral race, and a humiliating loss in London where Sadiq Khan was easily re-elected.
Sunak, who has been criticized for his lack of support among Tory MPs, has been pressured by the right-wing faction of his party to adopt more conservative policies in order to maintain power. A meeting between Sunak and prominent right-wing figures, Sir John Hayes and Sir Edward Leigh, resulted in Sunak being urged to move further to the right if he wanted to stay in office.
Following the meeting, Sunak pushed through a controversial bill allowing deportations of asylum seekers to East Africa and authorized the filming of asylum seekers being rounded up for deportation just before the local elections. This move was supported by Sir John Hayes, who claimed that it helped the party hold onto seats they would have otherwise lost.
The Labour Party has criticized Sunak, accusing him of being a “prisoner of the right” within his party. Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth stated that Sunak is too weak to resist pressure from the right-wing faction and is being pushed further to the right with each passing week.
Plans are now in place to push the government even further to the right, fueled by fears of Nigel Farage and Reform UK. Tory chairman Richard Holden indicated that votes for Reform UK had impacted the election results, leading to losses for the Conservatives.
The Common Sense Group, a coalition of right-wing MPs, is expected to demand an urgent meeting with Sunak to present a list of demands. Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has called for a shift in leadership and policy direction, urging Sunak to listen to the voters and change course.
As the Conservative Party grapples with internal divisions and electoral losses, the future of Rishi Sunak’s leadership remains uncertain. Critics warn that moving further to the right could alienate voters and harm the party’s chances of governing effectively.