Only today’s Tory Party could consider Rishi Sunak ‘left-wing’. Apparently, soft on immigration, high taxes, and culture wars, this Thatcherite, pro-Brexit PM is seen as betraying the Tory cause by many right-wing grass-roots members and some former and current cabinet ministers.
Ludicrous.
The Tory Party has historically been so successful because it was always ideologically flexible. It supported established institutions and positioned itself as mildly socially conservative but not always (Cameron/gay marriage). In aiming for a smaller state and lower taxes, it was consistent in putting lowering deficits first, knowing nothing should get in the way of a well-run, slightly redistributive economy when finances allowed. Conservatives were always about ‘the economy stupid’.
Well, not now. Brexit, a failed attempt at immigration controls damaging growth in the process, a brief period of kamikaze tax cuts adding to a soaring deficit, pushing up already rising interest rates, have together been economically ruinous. Add a good dose of confected culture wars and attacks on the judiciary and sovereignty of Parliament and Tory right-wing recklessness is complete. Thatcher would never have stood for it, cue Sunak.
Sunak has come in to restore economic competence and competence more generally, getting some of that famed ideological flexibility back into the Tory system.
It will last only until the next General Election.
The post-election positioning is beginning now. The formation of the Conservative Democratic Organisation, which held its first conference recently demanding more say for members (code for bring back Johnson), will probably be influential post an election. And more member involvement nearly always signals a further drift to the right. Then, we have had manifestos from leading Tories outlined at a right-wing, National Conservatism conference last week, not least by the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman. She is clearly positioning herself as the next leader, blatantly criticising cabinet colleagues on immigration. She has no sense of loyalty or public service, and we await her second ‘on a matter of principle’ resignation if her speeding fine doesn’t get her first…
Last, but not least, there is some evidence according to Anthony Seldon’s book on Johnson, (a highly readable insight into the chaos of Johnson’s premiership) that selection to join the parliamentary candidates’ list has favoured pro-Brexit, culture war warriors. That would drive the next diminished MP in-take further to the right if this was the case.
The Party’s Right is therefore flexing its muscles and one nation Tories remain on the side-lines. As ever, they are too soft, too unfocused. They simply hand-wring and hope for the best.
All the indications are that after a heavy election defeat, Sunak will step down, and the Tories will march rightwards. If this happens, the next 10 years spell disaster for the Conservative Party but also excitement for those willing to fill an increasingly vacated centre-right ground in British politics.
Inside Right Politics 