This has been an excruciating two weeks for Tory sympathisers. They have watched agog as candidates ripped each other apart in the race to be their Party’s next leader, most noticeably in the TV debates.
And now, as the process wends its way to the judgement of Conservative Party members, there is a somewhat unedifying choice between the last two candidates standing: Rishi Sunak verus Liz Truss.
Hobson’s choice…?
The most qualified and able by far is Rishi Sunak. He rose to the job of Chancellor in the most challenging of circumstances and acquitted himself well. The problem he has is that in pursuing the perfectly legitimate objective of controlled budget deficits, he has increased taxes to a 70 year high which is not going down well with voters generally or Tory members in particular. He has attacked Truss, his final opponent, for her fantasy approach to economics. She has, in return, attacked him for these tax rises. Both have created much fodder for Labour which was painfully evident in PMQs this afternoon. Keir Starmer, its leader, had a field day.
The additional challenge Sunak has is that he is a rich Thatcherite (incredibly painted as ‘left-wing’ by Truss supporters) with a slightly questionable family tax history. I am just not sure this will play well in Red Wall seats and, again, provides much ammunition to those on the opposition benches.
Then to Liz Truss. She is widely considered awful by many of her colleagues, more than two-thirds of which didn’t vote for her. I have experienced the most diplomatic of senior Tories holding their heads in their hands when her name is mentioned. No credible record as a minister who, as a former Remainer, has styled herself as tough on the EU to reach the last two of this contest. She has advocated breaking international law over the Northern Ireland Protocol and relations with our largest trading partner would almost certainly deteriorate if she were to be elected. She has acquired some distinctly unpleasant right-wing supporters on her journey, is economically illiterate and would quickly lose credibility as PM. Oh dear.
The person eliminated today is Penny Mordaunt. She ran a weak campaign with little substance, but one senses she would have picked a solid team behind her. A moderate Brexiteer and social liberal, depressingly savaged by the Daily Mail, she would have provided a better choice against Sunak.
Well, the Tory Party is where it is. Presenting a Hobson’s choice to many, three things strike me as obvious; it has to be Sunak as leader (he has a good chance despite Tory members favouring Truss today); the election is surely not going to be held until 2024 in the hope that voters forget the happenings of this summer and Labour’s chances of winning the next election have improved immeasurably.
Inside Right Politics 