An incendiary few weeks have culminated in a radical cabinet reshuffle in Westminster. Sloganeering citizens, an embattled police force and a vitriolic Home Secretary contributed to chaos and confusion. Faced with a perceived loss of authority, Rishi Sunak had little choice but to sack a brazen Suella Braverman. The ensuing reshuffle marking the unexpected return of former PM David Cameron as Foreign Secretary has set the scene for some passionate conversations to come within the Tory party and the wider electorate.
In just over a year as prime minister, it is clear that Sunak has ushered in much-needed calmness to government. But with Labour on the rise, an agitated Tory backbench and voters fatigued after nearly 13 years of a Tory government, Rishi Sunak has a difficult battle ahead. Seen through this prism, the reshuffle is an attempt to reset the political narrative and gain electoral momentum.
The fact that Braverman was sacked should not have surprised many observers. From inception, she was intent on shoring up support within the right of the party rather than focusing on collective responsibility. The final straw came in a polarising piece in The Times last week — not approved by Downing Street — when she accused the police of bias and double standards in allowing pro-Palestinian marches to proceed. Sunak had little choice but to let her go.
By moving James Cleverly from the Foreign Office to the Home Office, Sunak hopes to inject moderation on the sensitive topics of safety and security. But the risk he runs is inflaming Tory right-wing backbenchers and Johnson supporters. The extraordinary return of David Cameron as Foreign Secretary may be part of a process to trumpet competent “grown-up” politics where seeking consensus is seen as a strength. But the spectre of a “remainer” former prime minister back in high office is also likely to galvanise Brexiteer backbench discontent.
What Sunak really hopes is for the Tory party to cease petty inward dialogue and focus on outward-looking electoral priorities. This matters because voters are increasingly impatient. Warning signs surfaced when the Tories lost over a thousand seats in local elections earlier this year. Labour has leapfrogged ahead in opinion polls. Keir Starmer is expected to benefit from a mood of anti-incumbency. His challenge remains to keep the trade unions aligned with his centrist leanings.
To recall, the path to Sunak’s elevation arose after Liz Truss’ brief and disastrous premiership came to a close. A year later, how has he fared? At the start of his tenure, Sunak made five key pledges focused on halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing national debt, cutting down NHS waiting times and combating illegal migration. On each measure, progress has been slower than he’d have liked. Inflation continues to be a key concern. The looming winter looks to be a troublesome one for the NHS with elongated waiting times. The government’s policy of deporting illegal migrants to a “third country”, namely Rwanda, is up for scrutiny before the Supreme Court imminently. National debt continues to rise while the IMF forecasts just one per cent growth for the economy next year.
For all that, Sunak deserves a measure of appreciation for restoring stability to government. But what should he prioritise? First, combating inflationary headwinds by focusing on continued fiscal responsibility would be vital. Second, targeted investment in infrastructure and education should be prioritised. But these should not spawn open-ended costs. In this context, Sunak has shown he can be decisive — by announcing the cancellation of the northern leg of the high-speed 2 (HS2) line in favour of local investment, he has taken a calculated gamble.
Further, a competitive British tax regime to boost entrepreneurship and a fit-for-purpose approach to immigration would be core as well. Alliances with like-minded democracies such as India will need to be cemented too. Rebuilding relationships with European allies should also be factored in.
After three terms in office, the public mood is shifting against the party. Voters have signalled that while they value competence, they also need a hopeful vision for the future. In this narrative, a focus on stability and a push for growth are not mutually exclusive. Sunak needs to boldly articulate this vision. If the Tory party continues to bicker, it may ultimately find itself seeing renewal on the opposition benches.
The writer is a London-based lawyer and political commentator
Rishi Sunak’s radical reshuffle: Why sacking Suella Braverman and bringing David Cameron back may not be enough
11
0
13.11.2023
An incendiary few weeks have culminated in a radical cabinet reshuffle in Westminster. Sloganeering citizens, an embattled police force and a vitriolic Home Secretary contributed to chaos and confusion. Faced with a perceived loss of authority, Rishi Sunak had little choice but to sack a brazen Suella Braverman. The ensuing reshuffle marking the unexpected return of former PM David Cameron as Foreign Secretary has set the scene for some passionate conversations to come within the Tory party and the wider electorate.
In just over a year as prime minister, it is clear that Sunak has ushered in much-needed calmness to government. But with Labour on the rise, an agitated Tory backbench and voters fatigued after nearly 13 years of a Tory government, Rishi Sunak has a difficult battle ahead. Seen through this prism, the reshuffle is an attempt to reset the political narrative and gain electoral momentum.
The fact that Braverman was sacked should not have surprised many observers. From inception, she was intent on shoring up support within the right of the party rather than focusing on collective responsibility. The final........
© Indian Express
visit website
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Andrew Mitrovica
Mort Laitner
Nikkei Editorial
Rami G Khouri
Ali Fathollah-Nejad
