Despite copious evidence to the contrary, rumours remain rife that Rishi Sunak is still Prime Minister and that the Conservatives are ‘in charge’ of the county. How can this be? Like a sky diver without a parachute, some areas of the country are descending into enforced cultural enrichment the likes of which Enoch Powell could […]
(Photograph: UK Prime Minister, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons) It is not every day that the Prime Minister, or anyone else on a six-figure salary, writes to ask me for help, and so I was surprised this week to receive an unsolicited letter and questionnaire from the PM. No doubt it would have
A Letter From Rishi Read More »
Heavyweight showdowns rarely live up to their billing, and so it proved during this week’s highly-anticipated Westminster clash, which turned out to be more gunsmoke than gunfight. Despite the tough talk from rebel leader Mark Francois and his posse at the European Research Group, sheriff Sunak has forced them to holster their weapons (at least
Rwanda: A Stay of Execution? Read More »
It’s easier than you might think to topple a Conservative Prime Minister. All it required in the case of Boris Johnson, was an illicit ménage à trois with Mr Chandon and Mr Kipling; for Liz Truss, it was aggressive tax cuts that spooked the markets. Now it appears Rishi Sunak could be about to fall
Sunak on Borrowed Time? Read More »
In what was widely considered appeasement of the right of the Conservative Party (i.e. the actually conservative bit), Rishi Sunak shored up his cabinet in 2022 by reinstating Suella Braverman as home secretary. It is not without irony therefore that he proceeded to sack her earlier this month for her unexpected conservatism; nor was it likely
Yesterday’s historic Dutch election victory for Geert Wilders is nothing short of seismic. After 25 years as The Netherlands’ political bogeyman, Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) has won 37 of 150 parliamentary seats, well ahead of his nearest rival (ex-EU commissioner Frans Timmermans’ left-wing alliance) on just 25. For Wilders, 60, this is a far cry
Where There’s a Wilders There’s a Way Read More »
Our present Chancellor follows a long line of predecessors who have spent their time in office talking big but in action have simply tinkered at the edges. I feel a sense of déjà vu when I hear and read comments coming out of Downing Street about the forthcoming Autumn Statement. Over the last few months we have
Jeremy Hunt: Tinkering With the Engine Read More »
A week may indeed be a long time in politics, but if recent events are anything to go by it’s also roughly the life expectancy of a conservative Home Secretary in the Rishi Sunak era of non-conservatism. Yes Suella Braverman is out, after she suicidally refused to lie about the extent of two-tier policing, the
The New Conservative Party Read More »
As predicted two days ago, it was inevitable that Rishi Sunak would cave in to outside pressure and sack Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Weak leaders have a habit of choosing the greater of two evils, and the writing’s usually on the wall when a Prime Minister expresses their ‘confidence’ in a colleague. Fearing a revolt
Sunak: Dead Man Walking Read More »
(Photograph: David Woolfall, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons) In the aftermath of her Wednesday piece in The Times (‘Police must be even-handed with protests’), there’s every likelihood that Suella Braverman’s stint as Home Secretary could be coming to an end. As Rishi Sunak deliberates on whether to sack her, it’s important to note
