With Liz Truss’s announced resignation on the 20th of October, only forty-four days since Johnson’s own and now Rishi Sunak stepping up, the Conservative Party faces a serious issue of credibility as discontent rises amongst voters and opposition parties increase pressure for a general election.
The Disarray
In the last few months, the party has faced a multitude of issues including scandals, internal disarray, and general incompetency which has not only given way to this general decline in public attitude towards the party but also internal attitude as well.
These issues with internal satisfaction explicitly highlighted in a Observer article where they reported that Tory Peer Gavin Barwell had stated that the Truss government “has thrown away the Conservative party’s reputation for sound management of the public finances” further adding that “it will take years to undo all the damage”.
A reputation that has been a staple point of conservative rhetoric for decades of general elections, however with the economic impact of Brexit exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis this reputation is at threat of being lost.
This uncertainty was made clear in an anonymous interview with a conservative voter from the local Bournemouth area who when questioned about the current government remaining in power stated that they were ‘displeased’ with the constant shifts in party leadership referring to it as ‘humiliating not just for the party but for the country as a whole’.
The same voter when also questioned on whether they would vote for the party again if a general election were to be called stated that they had ‘wavering opinions’ on the matter, adding that ‘unless the party steps down in a respectable manner’ and ‘proves their credibility in a vote’ then they would certainly consider changing who they vote for in a future election.
Putting into question whether the current conservative party have already lost too much of the public’s faith due to their constant mishaps or even still hold an electoral mandate in the eyes of the public.
The Opposition
A major issue when the Labour Party under Keir Starmer has decided to utilise their move back towards the successful centrist politics seen under the Blair administration into a way to apply pressure on the disarray within the Conservative Party, often siding with the public’s discontent.
The Guardian quoting Starmer himself in reference to Truss’s resignation saying that the party must not respond again by “shuffling the people at the top without the consent of the British people” suggesting that he believes the Conservatives time in government can no longer be justified without an election.
The Guardian also going onto to mention in a separate article that new polling from YouGov suggests that “Keir Starmer is seen as likely to make the best prime minister by voters in three times as many constituencies as Sunak” highlighting the issue the conservatives may face if an election were to be called.
This is increasingly important on a local level as conservative safe seats such Bournemouth East and West could be seen as vulnerable to a Labour takeover, especially as discontent rises amongst local conservative voters in the run up to an election.
To get a further insight into this discontent another two anonymous conservative voters from the local Bournemouth area were questioned on whether they’d vote for Starmer in the next election, a historically safe seat for the Conservatives.
The first voter who described themselves as a ‘liberal conservative’ openly stated that they would consider voting for Labour under Starmer highlighting that his party currently appears ‘more credible and stable’ than the current Conservatives.
They also mentioned that this was because the current Labour Party’s politics are ‘more in line’ with their own in comparison to the current Conservative party.
Whereas the second voter although also stating they would not vote for the Conservatives next election openly voiced that they would neither vote for Starmer adding that they see him as ‘lacking purpose’ his role only to ‘denounce the current government’, who they sympathised with as facing ‘tough times’ politically.
When questioned further on what they would instead do with their vote they stated that they would most likely ‘waste their vote’ instead, a worrying perspective for voters who may be looking for change in the Bournemouth area.
The Final Question of Credibility
With Sunak on his way into Downing Street now the third Conservative PM seen in this single term as a government the Conservative’s governmental credibility is at stake with some believing that it has already been lost.
The Guardian quoting the leader of Reform party UK Richard Tice who stated “We have a prime minister appointed by acclamation. His party members rejected him. Democracy is in peril,” an opinion many are reiterating.
Emphasising that the conservatives do face discontent whether it is from political figures or the public, many believing it is now up to the public to decide who they want rather than continuing in disarray.
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