Dazed. Weary. Unsurprised. Britain has a new Prime Minister. Again.
Rishi Sunak is the UK’s first British Asian Prime Minister – unfortunately, that is about the only positive of his appointment.
Sunak was Chancellor of the Exchequer (Finance Minister) under Boris Johnson. In my opinion, anyone who actively supported Boris Johnson, a lying, law-breaking and anti-democratic Prime Minister, can be painted with the same brush.
As it happens, there is plenty of evidence to support that. As Chancellor, Sunak faced several scandals. First, the Greensill lobbying scandal saw Sunak send private texts to former Prime Minister David Cameron to help him access finance for his firm. Secondly, Suank’s multi-millionaire wife, Akshata Murty, has avoided paying tens of millions of pounds in taxes through her non-dom status. There was also speculation that Sunak himself had kept a US Green Card until October 2021 in order to gain tax advantages. Finally, Sunak was fined for attending a party during a COVID lockdown in 2021.
The fact that Rishi Sunak is the new Prime Minister shows that the Conservatives aren’t taking calls for renewal seriously. Sunak is just a slightly cleaner, more polished version of his former boss, but he has committed all the same infractions. What’s more, the composition of his new cabinet is much the same as Boris Johnson’s. Apparently, it doesn’t matter what you do when you are in government; you won’t be held accountable for it.
The most egregious example of this is Suella Braverman, who resigned from Liz Truss’ cabinet following a data breach. In her resignation letter, she wrote: “The business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes. Pretending we haven't made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can't see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics.” Now, just a week later, she is back in the cabinet.
To illustrate my point, in this table I list the top cabinet positions, whether their occupants were in Boris Johnson or Liz Truss’ cabinets, and any blemishes to their reputation.
With that in mind, let’s see what Sunak had to say in his opening speech as Prime Minister.
"It is only right to explain why I'm standing here as
your new Prime Minister.
Agreed – he is the fourth consecutive Prime Minister to
enter office through an internal Conservative leadership election.
"Right now, our country is facing a profound economic
crisis. The aftermath of Covid still lingers.
Sunak was Chancellor during the entire pandemic.
"[…] I want to pay tribute to my predecessor Liz Truss. She was not wrong to want to improve growth in this country. It is a noble aim, and I admired her restlessness to create change. But some mistakes were made, not borne of ill will or bad intentions - quite the opposite in fact.
Isn’t it a Conservative Party rule that your economic
policies have to have at least a bit of ill will towards the poor?
"[...] I will place economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government's agenda. This will mean difficult decisions to come.
Whenever a politician says that there are “difficult
decisions to come”, they mean that some people are not going to be happy.
When a Conservative says that, they mean that the poor will starve or
freeze or likely both.
"[…] But I promise you this, I will bring that same
compassion to the challenges we face today.
Ah yes, the compassion of a man who presided over
lockdowns which prevented families from visiting their dying relatives in
hospital, all the while having a party with his mates on Downing Street.
"[...] I will unite our country - not with words, but with action.
Pass.
"I will work day in and day out to deliver for you.
Yup.
"This government will have integrity, professionalism
and accountability at every level.
A man whose reputation has been mired by a corruption
scandal surely can't talk about “integrity”. A man who protected Boris Johnson
and supported him in his lies for years cannot talk about "accountability". A man
who broke the law as Chancellor cannot talk about "professionalism".
"Trust is earned and I will earn yours.
Oh, I think it’s a bit late for that.
"I will always be grateful to Boris Johnson for his
incredible achievements as prime minister, and I treasure his warmth and
generosity of spirit.
Do I even need to explain this one?
"And I know he would agree that the mandate my party
earned in 2019 is not the sole property of any one individual. It is a mandate
that belongs to, and unites, all of us.
Here it is, the classic line where he tries to convince
us that he isn’t going to call a general election, not because his party would
lose, but because Boris Johnson’s mandate apparently extends to three different
Prime Ministers with different policies.
"And the heart of that mandate is our manifesto. I will
deliver on its promise. A stronger NHS, better schools, safer streets, control
of our borders, protecting our environment, supporting our armed forces,
levelling up and building an economy that embraces the opportunities of Brexit
where businesses invest, innovate and create jobs.
Ha for a second there I thought he might be serious. The
NHS is weak because the Conservatives have drained it of resources. The streets
are dangerous because the Conservatives cut the police force. Our environmental
policy is a disaster because Sunak’s precious manifesto was ranked the worst in
terms of combatting climate change. The economy is weak (at least partly)
because the Conservatives stripped us of our biggest trading partner and
reduced all confidence in the pound. And, obviously, Brexit brings no
opportunities.
"[…] I fully appreciate how hard things are.
I’m not sure that a multi-millionaire (valued at £730
million), who himself admitted
he didn’t have working-class friends, can understand that.
"And I understand too that I have work to do to restore
trust after all that has happened. All I can say is that I am not daunted.
Actually, you can say "sorry".
"I know the high office I have accepted and I hope to
live up to its demands. But when the opportunity to serve comes along, you
cannot question the moment, only your willingness.
Sure you can. You can question whether you have
any of the qualities of a decent human being.
"So I stand here before you, ready to lead our country
into the future, to put your needs above politics, to reach out and build a
government that represents the very best traditions of my party.
Name one of the “best traditions” of the
Conservative Party. Corruption? Sleaze? Scandal? I will wait.
"Together we can achieve incredible things.
“We”? Don’t bring me into this.
"We will create a future worthy of the sacrifices so
many have made, and fill tomorrow and every day thereafter with hope. Thank
you."
My only hope is for the next general election.
