Politics

Read about the latest UK political news, views and analysis.

Monday

Katy Balls Katy Balls

Inside Rishi Sunak’s first address to Tory MPs

It’s a rather strange leadership contest when the winner reaches the end without having said a single word in public. That’s what has happened in the case of the new Tory leader – and soon-to-be prime minister – Rishi Sunak. After Boris Johnson decided not to enter the race and Penny Mordaunt failed to reach the 100 MP nominations required, Sunak has been crowned the victor. There were a few hints that unity won’t be plain sailing Shortly after the result was announced, he addressed Tory MPs behind closed doors on the committee corridor of parliament. Sunak arrived with his team – which includes 2019 intake MPs Laura Trott, Claire

Ross Clark Ross Clark

Rishi Sunak faces an impossible job

Well, good luck, Rishi. You’ll need it – and not just because, as backbench Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope put it this morning, the Conservative party has become ‘ungovernable’. The whole job of prime minister has become impossible. There are too many demands on the person who holds that position, and too much blame placed on them when people’s lives fail to live up to expectation. Liz Truss made a huge error in announcing a huge £100 billion welfare programme (the energy price guarantee) in conjunction with £45 billion of tax cuts, all uncosted. But would her premiership have proved much more successful had she been a bit more careful

Cindy Yu Cindy Yu

Xi Jinping has zombified the Chinese Communist party

In the run up to China’s National Party Congress, there were whispers that a high level official in state security had been wiretapping the President. After all, why else would Sun Lijun, previously the vice-minister of public security, have been sentenced to death for taking bribes that others got much lighter sentences for?  But if Sun was wiretapping Xi Jinping, who was behind him? Wishful speculation abounded, often from overseas observers. Had Xi pushed the country too far with his zero Covid policy? Are there secret daggers drawn from rivals who lament the days of double-digit growth? But with the Party Congress now finished, it’s clear that Xi no longer

Penny Mordaunt

Why Rishi Sunak has my support

Penny Mordaunt has conceded defeat in the Tory leadership race. Here is the full text of her statement: Our party is our membership. Whether we are elected representatives, activists, fundraisers or supporters. We all have a stake in who our leader is.  These are unprecedented times. Despite the compressed timetable for the leadership contest it is clear that colleagues feel we need certainty today. They have taken this decision in good faith for the good of the country.  Members should know that this proposition has been fairly and thoroughly tested by the agreed 1922 process.  As a result, we have now chosen our next prime minister. This decision is an

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Penny drops, Rishi wins

Rishi Sunak has been elected leader of the Tory party and will be the next prime minister after Penny Mordaunt pulled out of the race. By the 2 m. deadline, 197 Tory MPs – half of the party – had come out for him. Just 27 had gone public for Mordaunt: her team said that anonymous endorsements took this to 97. Given that only Sunak qualified, the final numbers will never be known. He speaks to Tory MPs at 2.30 m.in private. It is a remarkable turnaround for Sunak It is a remarkable turnaround for Sunak. Last month, he lost the Tory leadership election to Liz Truss. But the vindication of his

Coffee House

Latest: More than half of Tory MPs back Sunak

More than half of Tory MPs now back Rishi Sunak in the race to become prime minister. Penny Mordaunt remains in the contest, but she has until 2 p.m. to persuade 100 Tory MPs to support her leadership bid. Here is who is backing whom: Rishi Sunak (197) 1. Crispin Blunt 2. Julie Marson 3. Richard Holden 4. Angela Richardson 5. Steve Double 6. Kevin Hollinrake 7. Jo Gideon 8. Paul Maynard 9. John Glen 10. Andrew Bowie 11. Anthony Mangnall 12. Simon Hart 13. Craig Williams 14. John Stevenson 15. Gary Streeter 16. Andrew Murrison 17. Dominic Raab 18. Simon Jupp 19. Bim Afolami 20. Nick Gibb 21. James Cartlidge

Kate Andrews Kate Andrews

Ready for Rishi?

12 min listen

After Boris pulled out of the leadership race last night, all eyes are on Rishi Sunak who could be Prime Minister by lunchtime. Can Rishi rescue the Conservatives? Kate Andrews speaks to Katy Balls, James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson. Produced by Natasha Feroze.

Patrick O’Flynn Patrick O'Flynn

Can Rishi Sunak rescue the Tories from electoral wipeout?

‘At least I’ve been prime minister’ – those were the reported words of Liz Truss on realising that she had presided over so much chaos that she’d have to step down after just six weeks in office. It is most unlikely that our next prime minister would react to catastrophic failure in such a manner. Because Rishi Sunak – and it will surely be him – is cut from a different cloth. Projecting himself as a success would appear to be his sustaining life force. And yet catastrophic failure – on the electoral front at least – is by far the most likely outcome of his premiership. If it lasts

Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

Six reasons to be optimistic about a Rishi Sunak premiership

For the last few days and weeks, the political news from Britain has been unremittingly grim. But Rishi Sunak in No10 represents a new start – but before he starts, it is worth considering the case for optimism for his premiership. Here goes:- At a time when market-literacy is at a premium, we’ll have the most market-literate PM in history. Sunak has a clearer grasp of finance than anyone to sit in No. 10 or No. 11. Gordon Brown was regarded as a details man because he read original academic papers. Sunak, a Goldman Sachs alumni, had a Bloomberg terminal on his desk to follow the metrics from which such

Katy Balls Katy Balls

Can Penny Mordaunt make it onto the ballot?

Will Rishi Sunak be prime minister by teatime? After Boris Johnson announced that he would not enter the contest after all, the chances of a coronation have risen. Penny Mordaunt has 25 MPs publicly backing her – a long way short of the 100 required to make it onto the ballot. However, she still has an opportunity to get there. Will Boris Johnson’s backers row in behind Mordaunt? Boris Johnson has somewhere in the region of 60 public supporters to play for (and more still if you go by his own figure of 102 backers). There are also just over 100 MPs yet to back anyone. That means there is a path

Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

The gig economy – how far have we come?

32 min listen

When Uber arrived in Britain ten years ago, the app transformed the way people move around cities. All of a sudden, at the click of a button, city dwellers could order a car for a competitive price which would arrive within minutes.To some policymakers, this hailed a new way of working and putting consumers first. Since then, a lot has changed. Uber came under strict regulatory obstacles and many more app-based competitors have entered the market. But the business has transformed with the times. Whilst emblematic of the gig economy, are the critics right about driver treatment? And does more regulation create barriers for the customer?Fraser Nelson, The Spectator’s editor

Stephen Daisley Stephen Daisley

Tory troubles are a reflection of the crisis facing Britain

One of the quaint superstitions of the moment is a belief that our political dysfunction has a ready solution. The government stumbles from one crisis to another but things will pick up once Liz Truss is gone. Rishi Sunak warned that she would fail and so he is best placed to succeed her. He will calm the markets and lead us back to growth. Tories tell themselves he might even be able to beat Labour next time.  Other Tories put their faith in Boris Johnson, not least Boris Johnson. His withdrawal will be greeted with relief by MPs but there are costs attached. Whatever mandate this government still has is

Sam Leith Sam Leith

Even Rishi Sunak can’t save the Tories

Once again, 357-odd Conservative MPs have complete control over what happens next in this country. There are three questions that each of them will be urgently considering. One is: what’s best for the country? The second is: what’s best for the Conservative party? The third is: what’s best for me personally? It will not have escaped the attentive student of recent Tory politics that these things do not always point in quite the same direction. So, question one. The country, poll after poll now tells us, wants rid of the whole shower of these blue-rosetted bozos as soon as is humanly possible. It seems to follow from that – even

Sunday

Steerpike Steerpike

Nadhim Zahawi’s political Odyssey

Does Nadhim Zahawi have the worst judgement in Tory politics? As recently as last year, the man could do no wrong: the boosterish vaccines minister who impressed at education, winning fans with his back story and media savvy. Yet since then, the millionaire pollster’s winning touch seems to have deserted him. Indeed, Zahawi has been on something of a political Odyssey, without the happy ending. For, in his search for a patron Penelope, Zahawi seems to embrace every Scylla and be sucked into each Charybdis that he encounters on his way. Take the events of the last three months. On 5 July, he was appointed as Boris Johnson’s Chancellor of

Boris Johnson

Why I am not standing for the leadership

In the last few days I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who suggested that I should once again contest the Conservative Party leadership, both among the public and among friends and colleagues in Parliament. I have been attracted because I led our party into a massive election victory less than three years ago – and I believe I am therefore uniquely placed to avert a general election now. A general election would be a further disastrous distraction just when the government must focus on the economic pressures faced by families across the country. I believe I am well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024 –

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Boris has avoided a nightmare scenario

Boris Johnson’s decision to pull out of the Tory leadership contest averts a nightmare scenario where he had got the support of less than a third of the parliamentary party and was then returned to Downing Street by the member’s vote (though, I think the result of that ballot was becoming less and less certain). This would have been a recipe for instability. Can you really lead a party in parliament if the vast majority of the MPs wanted someone else?   Even allies of Johnson were saying today that they hoped that he wouldn’t run. They feared that if he did he would be remembered as the man who

Katy Balls Katy Balls

Why Boris Johnson pulled out

Boris Johnson has this evening pulled out of the Conservative leadership contest, leaving the field clear for Rishi Sunak. Only this morning his MP supporters had been insisting that the former prime minster had secured the 100 MP nominations required and would definitely run, but Johnson says the opposition to him is such that he will not enter the race – but there were severe doubts about this, with some MPs saying they were being approached by a desperate Boris team that did not have the numbers but had claimed otherwise. Sunak had more than twice as many declared nominations. In a statement released this evening, Johnson he’d hit ‘the

Coffee House

Who’s left to declare?

With nominations to be the Tory leader closing tomorrow afternoon, there are still just over 100 MPs to publicly say who they want to take over from Liz Truss. Here’s the list of those left to declare: Adam Afriyie, Windsor (2005) Adam Holloway, Gravesham (2005) Alberto Costa, South Leicestershire (2015) Alec Shelbrooke, Elmet and Rothwell (2010) Alex Burghart, Brentwood and Ongar (2017) Alicia Kearns, Rutland and Melton (2019) Alister Jack, Dumfries and Galloway (2017) Amanda Solloway, Derby North (2019) Andrew Griffith, Arundel and South Downs (2019) Andy Carter, Warrington South (2019) Anna Firth, Southend West (2022) Anne Marie Morris, Newton Abbot (2010) Ben Spencer, Runnymede and Weybridge (2019) Ben Wallace,

Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

Might Tory MPs refuse to recognise Boris Johnson as PM?

Might Tory MPs refuse to recognisee Boris Johnson as leader if party members choose him? George Osborne raises the prospect on the Andrew Neil Show today saying: I think there’s a real chance the Tory parliamentary party says ‘we don’t accept the result of the members’ ballot. We don’t accept that 200 of us are going to serve under a PM we didn’t want’. And so I think the crisis will develop sooner than the privileges committee. It will develop at the end of this coming week and the beginning of this coming week, the beginning of next week, if Johnson gets through. This might reflect the attitude of Osborne’s