Sunak

[BillyStubbsTears]

One of the best speeches I've heard in a long time. Very much respect to him.

I actually feel for the man. I think he's a decent person who has had an impossible job of trying to control a party hell-bent on destroying itself by going way off to the right. I think he knows how disastrous that has been, but he couldn't shout them down in public because he'd have reignited the Tory civil war.

In a different time he could have been a decent leader of a sane Tory party.

[ChrisBx]

I do wonder why he didn't attempt to govern and campaign in a similar respectful manner. Differences in opinion is normal, the conduct of senior Tories, including Sunak, over the years has been repulsive.

[danumdon]

Boxed into a corner and had the middle ground taken away from him by Labour veering to the right.

Once the loonies had high jacked the agenda he was fighting on sinking sand.

[SydneyRover]

Boxed into a corner and had the middle ground taken away from him by Labour veering to the right.

Once the loonies had high jacked the agenda he was fighting on sinking sand.

Why would that excuse his behaviour?

[BillyStubbsTears]

He couldn't govern in that mode because the party is batshit toxic.

Remember, his MP colleagues had just put Liz Truss in No 10.

As for campaigning, by that time the party was in a dogfight with Farage for votes. There was no way the Tories were ever going to pull significant votes off Labour or the LDs. They were in an existential fight for the right wing votes.

I think they havr had 2 problems.

1) The immediate one. Stop a meltdown to 50 or so seats and potential irrelevance. Sunak's more or less achieved that by playing hard right.

2) The long term one. They are never ever going to win another election from that position. They have lost the moderate right and centrist vote and will not get it back while they continue to fight the Culture War. That is a far, far harder problem to fix, because the party is now entrenched on the far right. And because the LDs are now resurgent on their left, so they've little space to move into.

Sunak was able to address the first,but the second is a 10-15 year job at minimum. If he'd tried addressing that over this last 2 years, there might only be 40 Tory MPs today.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

The sacrifical lamb perhaps, he's ultimately a fall guy for a party that's fallen apart.  Not quite Gordon Brown but there are some similarities.  Took over a party with issues from it's time in power, difficult worldwide circumstances and ultimately despite being decent people they aren't great leaders and Sunak was not a good leader of his party.

[danumdon]

Very interesting to see who, he hands over to/relieves him of the leadership

Will make or break the party for the foreseeable future.

I'm expecting a Cameron style drift off after a few months, whilst no ones looking.

[MachoMadness]

It was a decent enough speech but miss me with the "he's a decent bloke" talk. This is a guy who stood in parliament cracking jokes about trans people, when the mother of a murdered trans girl was in the gallery. No one made him do that. No one made him leave the D-Day memorial early. No one made him laugh in that old woman's face when she confronted him about the NHS. No one made him get the arse on like a petulant child whenever anyone questioned him about anything.

The guy is so wealthy and detached from ordinary life he's practically a space alien, devoid of empathy and tact. Good riddance, f**k off to California, bye.

[TonySoprano]

Sunak is a decent bloke and very likable.
He did a good job as Chancellor too.

Such a shame.

Hopefully the Conservatives will be Conservative again now though.

[SydneyRover]

Sunak is a decent bloke and very likable.
He did a good job as Chancellor too.

Such a shame.

Hopefully now the Conservatives will be Conservative again now though.

Did you eat out to help out tony?

[TonySoprano]

Sunak is a decent bloke and very likable.
He did a good job as Chancellor too.

Such a shame.

Hopefully now the Conservatives will be Conservative again now though.

Did you eat out to help out tony?

Very rarely go to a restaurant in midweek unless it's a birthday, then was no different.

[Bentley Bullet]

Sunak is a decent, honest bloke who deserved more respect than he got for his efforts when faced with nye-on impossible situations.

Go and spend some of your money (while you still have it!) on a good break away from all the hatred and f**k'em!

[SydneyRover]

Sunak is a decent, honest bloke who deserved more respect than he got for his efforts when faced with nye-on impossible situations.

Go and spend some of your money (while you still have it!) on a good break away from all the hatred and f**k'em!

Did you break the law and party during the lockdowns bb?

[TommyC]

I'm not sure I agree with  that old chestnut about the Tories paying the price of pitching to the right. I think they came up with a few batshit right wing policies in the run up to the election in a panic to stave of the threat of Reform but it was too little too late. I can't say i've viewed them as being even remotely "right wing" for rather a long time. Labour love to try and put some distance between them and the Tories by claiming the Tories are way over on the right but that's just disingenuously trying to conceal where Labour themselves are. I dont see anything remotely Conservative about this outgoing lot. Big tax, big state, big regulation, unfriendly to business (SMEs I mean, not multi-nationals), net zero, soft on crime and immigration, soft on social conservatism etc etc.  I dont see much that is "Conservative" about this lot.

No, the reason people have desserted the Tories is because they have managed to alienate pretty much every single facet of their support.  Remainers in the party annoyed about Bexit, Leavers in the party annoyed about the version of Brexit that has been delivered. "One Nation" conservatives furious about Rwanda and the party stance on kicking immigrants and "social" conversatives furious about the failure to reduce immigration. They have singularly tried and failed to please everyone and ended up pleasing absolutely nobody.  The moderates have gone to the Lib Dems and the right wing has gone to Reform. They have no reason to exist anymore and I'm glad they're got their arses kicked.

What the Conservative party looks like after this is going to be very interesting to see. If they wheel out another Hunt or Cameron, globalist liberal they wont get anywhere. There is literally no place else for them to go other than to the right. I see Farage is 8/1 to be the next Conservative leader. That makes him fifth favourite. I dont see that happening anytime soon but I wouldnt mind a bet on him rejoining within the next year or two and that would be very interesting to watch, if he manages to bring those 6 million voters with him. A unified right under the Conservative banner with Farage as their poster boy could realistically make inroads into those red wall seats that voted for the Johnson government in 2019. That wasnt about right/left politics, it was about the culture wars and i suspect once the Conservatives/Right (whatever it looks like) gets its shit together the next one will be fought along the same lines. Very interesting times.

[SydneyRover]

''Ms Braverman had suggested the Conservatives should welcome Mr Farage into the party as there was not much difference between the Tories and Reform. Asked about this, Mr Farage said: “Well, look, I mean, Suella Braverman said I should rejoin the Conservatives because our policies are very similar''

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/farage-braverman-reform-tories-election-defeat-b2559854.html

[Bristol Red Rover]

Sunak is a decent, honest bloke who deserved more respect than he got for his efforts when faced with nye-on impossible situations.

Go and spend some of your money (while you still have it!) on a good break away from all the hatred and f**k'em!

Is that last para directed at Sunak?

[TonySoprano]

I'm not sure I agree with  that old chestnut about the Tories paying the price of pitching to the right. I think they came up with a few batshit right wing policies in the run up to the election in a panic to stave of the threat of Reform but it was too little too late. I can't say i've viewed them as being even remotely "right wing" for rather a long time. Labour love to try and put some distance between them and the Tories by claiming the Tories are way over on the right but that's just disingenuously trying to conceal where Labour themselves are. I dont see anything remotely Conservative about this outgoing lot. Big tax, big state, big regulation, unfriendly to business (SMEs I mean, not multi-nationals), net zero, soft on crime and immigration, soft on social conservatism etc etc.  I dont see much that is "Conservative" about this lot.

No, the reason people have desserted the Tories is because they have managed to alienate pretty much every single facet of their support.  Remainers in the party annoyed about Bexit, Leavers in the party annoyed about the version of Brexit that has been delivered. "One Nation" conservatives furious about Rwanda and the party stance on kicking immigrants and "social" conversatives furious about the failure to reduce immigration. They have singularly tried and failed to please everyone and ended up pleasing absolutely nobody.  The moderates have gone to the Lib Dems and the right wing has gone to Reform. They have no reason to exist anymore and I'm glad they're got their arses kicked.

What the Conservative party looks like after this is going to be very interesting to see. If they wheel out another Hunt or Cameron, globalist liberal they wont get anywhere. There is literally no place else for them to go other than to the right. I see Farage is 8/1 to be the next Conservative leader. That makes him fifth favourite. I dont see that happening anytime soon but I wouldnt mind a bet on him rejoining within the next year or two and that would be very interesting to watch, if he manages to bring those 6 million voters with him. A unified right under the Conservative banner with Farage as their poster boy could realistically make inroads into those red wall seats that voted for the Johnson government in 2019. That wasnt about right/left politics, it was about the culture wars and i suspect once the Conservatives/Right (whatever it looks like) gets its shit together the next one will be fought along the same lines. Very interesting times.

Totally agree, I want the tory party to be Conservative, not whatever blairite shite they are now.
That's why I really struggled to decide who to vote for this time, and in the end I gritted my teeth and voted reform.
I'm still torn, because my outgoing tory mp did a great job at local level and was a very decent person.
 

[SydneyRover]

Sunak is a decent, honest bloke who deserved more respect than he got for his efforts when faced with nye-on impossible situations.

Go and spend some of your money (while you still have it!) on a good break away from all the hatred and f**k'em!

Is that last para directed at Sunak?

I think he means all those that have worked so hard to get into government and get away from the Starmer and labour haters.

[ravenrover]

Gone! As Tory leader
Sky news

[TommyC]

''Ms Braverman had suggested the Conservatives should welcome Mr Farage into the party as there was not much difference between the Tories and Reform. Asked about this, Mr Farage said: “Well, look, I mean, Suella Braverman said I should rejoin the Conservatives because our policies are very similar''

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/farage-braverman-reform-tories-election-defeat-b2559854.html

Indeed. And I think the situation gets even more interesting if you've got his big mate Trump in the Whitehouse later this year. I see Trump has just congratulated Farage online yet made no comment at all to Starmer.

 

[BillyStubbsTears]

Looks like the BBC sign language folk are warming up for the Tory leadership battle.

https://x.com/andreww1967/status/1809067850461483428

[Donnywolf]

Sunak is a decent bloke and very likable.
He did a good job as Chancellor too.

Such a shame.

Hopefully now the Conservatives will be Conservative again now though.

Did you eat out to help out tony?

I Voted OUT
To help OUT

I know that's not what was asked

[tyke1962]

Some people need to remind themselves what this man actually is before clapping his face saving resignation speech .

This is someone who bragged about taking money out of poor and desperate areas and giving it to Tory areas who were far from economically challenged .

This is a bloke who's brain dead Eat Out To Help Out idea caused a huge spike in covid infections that some people didn't recover from .

Now do us a favour and use your Green Card and feck off taking your tax dodging wife with you .

You may be a Brit but you were not of Britain and you could have been the PM or President of anywhere .

[BillyStubbsTears]

"You may be a Brit but you were not of Britain and you could have been the PM or President of anywhere ."

What on earth is that supposed to mean?

[Filo]

Strange how the departing Tories all want to be civil and play nice now they are irrelevent

[tyke1962]

"You may be a Brit but you were not of Britain and you could have been the PM or President of anywhere ."

What on earth is that supposed to mean?

Not what your thinking let me make that clear Billy .

He's a globalist , that better .

[TonySoprano]

Strange how the departing Tories all want to be civil and play nice now they are irrelevent

It's called dignity and accepting the result of a democratic election.
Which is clearly something completely lost on the left.

Quite amusing how the left are disappointed that there isn't more kicking and screaming from the right.

[Sven Vath]

Sunak is a decent bloke and very likable.
He did a good job as Chancellor too.

Such a shame.

Hopefully the Conservatives will be Conservative again now though.

A brilliant  job with tax payers money, spent money like confetti... yet most never saw a penny, just higher taxes !!

Covid and Brexit ruined this country and
both overseen by this man.

[Filo]

Strange how the departing Tories all want to be civil and play nice now they are irrelevent

It's called dignity and accepting the result of a democratic election.
Which is clearly something completely lost on the left.

Quite amusing how the left are disappointed that there isn't more kicking and screaming from the right.

Where was their dignity when they were playing nasty?

[drfchound]

Sunak is a decent bloke and very likable.
He did a good job as Chancellor too.

Such a shame.

Hopefully the Conservatives will be Conservative again now though.

A brilliant  job with tax payers money, spent money like confetti... yet most never saw a penny, just higher taxes !!

Covid and Brexit ruined this country and
both overseen by this man.

He did a good job with saving businesses and paying peoples wages through the furlough scheme during covid.
There will be a few on the left on this site who were greatfull for the governments help then.