UK election 2024: How Tories have imploded
The Conservatives have been their own worst enemy, wracked with scandal, inherent rifts, backstabbing and a revolving door of leaders. See how the party has imploded.
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Former British prime minister Boris Johnson made an eleventh-hour appearance on the campaign trail ahead of the UK heading to the polls on Thursday, warning a London rally about the dangers of a Labour landslide victory.
With some polls predicting the Conservatives could be reduced to a worst-ever result of just 76 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons after 14 years in power, Mr Johnson said a Labour “supermajority” was “pregnant with horrors” and would be “the height of insanity”.
Mr Johnson has been conspicuously absent from the campaign since his political rival Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the snap election on May 22.
Mr Johnson told the rally that he “was glad when the PM asked me for help and I could not say no” although The Sun also reported Mr Johnson’s motorcade left while Mr Sunak was still on stage.
In a typically colourful speech, Mr Johnson told listeners the Conservatives had “restored democracy to this country” by delivering Brexit and then linked Britain’s divorce from the EU to its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“That national independence was vital when it came to approving vaccines faster than any EU country, and getting the fastest vaccine rollout of any major economy, and the fastest economic rebound in the G7,” he said.
By comparison, a Labour government would make Britain “nothing but the punk of Brussels, taking EU law by dictation,” ohnson said.
With Reform UK nipping at the heels of the Conservatives in polling, Mr Johnson slammed the far right-wing party without naming it, saying it was “full of Kremlin crawlers who actually make excuses for [Vladimir] Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.”
“Don’t let Putin’s pet parrots give the whole country psittacosis,” Mr Johnson said, referencing a dangerous lung infection that can be passed on to humans from pet birds.
Speaking after Mr Johnson, Mr Sunak told activists that they had “48 hours to save Britain from a Labour government”.
He added: “I know you are tired, but we have to give it one last push. We have to fight for every vote. We have to fight for our values.”
SUNAK’S DESPERATE BID TO AVOID DEFEAT
You know something is wrong in British politics when the ruling party has to look to its expat community in Australia for votes to return it to power.
But that is what Mr Sunak’s Conservatives have been forced to do in a desperate bid to stave off what is predicted to be the biggest rout of a sitting government at any election.
The drubbing is expected to be so huge some analysts predict it could spell the total disbanding and extinction of the party altogether.
British expats, of which there are about a million in Australia, were granted voting rights after a cap of time away from their mother country was abolished. The Tories seized on this reconnection, announcing the creation of a minister for British citizens abroad should they win the election.
But after 14 years in power and five separate prime ministers, the Conservatives face a landslide loss when polls open on July 4.
Labour’s vanilla Sir Keir Starmer is tipped to win the election despite facing huge criticism for barely offering a policy throughout his lacklustre campaign.
He doesn’t really need to, Number 10 is his if he just turns up – at least that is what the analysts and polls say.
But it is British politics and like the predictions before the United Kingdom’s disastrous Brexit breakaway from Europe referendum, anything can happen. Just ask former TV soap Neighbours star Holly Valance who has inserted herself into election and had her own impact.
SO HOW HAS IT COME TO THIS?
The Conservatives have been their own worst enemy, wracked with scandal, inherent rifts and back stabbing, a revolving door of ministerial resignations all of which has led to a destabilised government under five different prime ministers.
This included Liz Truss, perhaps unkindly famously compared to a lettuce since her tenure had a similar shelf life; her 49 days in the top job was the shortest in British history during which time she all but sank the economy through her radical mini budget and policies.
WHY IS THE PUBLIC TURNING FROM TORIES NOW AFTER 14 YEARS?
Brexit – the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union – was always going to have an impact on the UK economy but the size of the disaster was under appreciated.
The British pound has lost some of its global value, a skills shortage vacuum was created, the expected drop in immigration actually has had the reverse effect with a huge rise now in illegal immigrants crossing the Channel, new complex regulations governing business continues to ruin many companies and hamstring many more and ultimately the economy sunk to low levels.
A snap shot poll by the British Chamber of Commerce recently found four years since the 2020 Brexit, more than half of 500 firms surveyed were still struggling with red tape. A similar story for imports. London’s economy alone shrunk by more than 30 billion pounds (A$58 billion).
It was estimated the average Londoner was 3400 pounds (A$6900) worse off and 300,000 jobs have disappeared in London alone since Brexit. Of course the Tories were not totally to blame for how people voted but it was then Tory PM David Cameron (2010-2016) who set up the vote after initially rejecting the move but then pressured into taking it by his own MPs. He resigned after Brexit, handing the reigns over to Theresa May to usher in its successful implementation which she could not.
WHAT ABOUT BORIS?
Boris Johnson was Conservative prime minister between 2019 and 2022. He will always been known as the buffoon on the zip wire.
The former London mayor and foreign secretary, with a well publicised fondness for Australia where his larrikinism was most popular, was a long-time Eurosceptic and backed Brexit.
But he would be better remembered for his mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic and notoriously the so-called “Partygate” scandal where numerous parties were held at 10 Downing Street despite the nationwide lockdown and social distancing laws.
A 2022 review of the scandal saw him receive a vote of no confidence which he beat but then another scandal – his appointment of a friend as deputy whip despite knowing of allegations of sexual misconduct – sparked mass resignations of 62 of his MPs in protest and prompted his own resignation.
ISSUES TO SWAY
The economy rose in 2024 after hitting a “shallow recession” but slow growth and high public debt levels has put pressure on government spend and driven up cost of living and higher interest rates. The National Health Service (NHS) is constantly on the verge of collapse with conditions recently prompting rounds of strikes by doctors and nurses mainly over chronic staff shortages.
Immigration has been voted one of the central election issues and high number of refugees attempting to enter the UK on boats prompted the government to enact legislation to evict them to Rwanda.
Mr Sunak had five key priorities for his tenure and has delivered on only one of them. He has only managed to grow the economy by 0.1 per cent so failed there and also failed to reduce public debt. NHS waiting lists have not been cut despite his promise but he has managed to reduce inflation.
Mr Sunak also pledged to introduce mandatory military service for youth which has been a popular pledge for older voters.
WHAT IS KEIR STARMER OFFERING?
Sir Keir has pledged to provide 40,000 more hospital appointments a week if he wins the election but has not clearly articulated how. He also pledged to end tax breaks for private schools to fund more teachers in the public system and launch a “border security command” to stop gangs arranging refugee boats.
A recent poll however showed voters had little idea what he stood for and struggled to name any of his potential ministers. He has told voters he would not put up taxes for “working people” but could not articulate who these people were. In short he has been seen by many as a “closed book” playing such a soft campaign knowing the election is his to lose.
CAN NIGEL FARAGE UPEND THE ELECTION?
The polarising pub-loving patriot will make his eighth attempt to win a seat with his right wing party on an anti-EU anti-immigration platform threatening dozens of Conservative held seats.
The former financial trader has always made a name for himself as anti-Establishment and while his Reform UK party can’t win the election under current electoral rules, it can emerge as the main opposition to the potential centre left government of Sir Keir. Election polls are showing a close race for Mr Farage in the seat of Clacton.
The staunch pro-Brexiteer has announced a freeze on all non-essential immigration, scrapping of net zero targets and pulling Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The 60-year-old is fiercely and publicly backed by former Neighbours soap star Holly Valance who declared she was a paid up member of Reform and hinted she was instrumental in Mr Farage’s decision to run for election.
“I have been whispering in his ear for a long time,” she said. Valance is also a Donald Trump cheerleader and this month hosted a fundraiser for him, raking in $3 million and denouncing Australia as “woke”.
HOW MANY AUSSIES WILL VOTE IN UK ELECTION?
Tax cuts, solutions to the housing crisis and mandatory national service are among the issues that will sway Aussie voters at the United Kingdom ballot box.
Up to 400,000 eligible Australians are expected to cast their vote in the July 4 general election – and, in keeping with recent opinion polls, most say it’s time for change.
Under British law, all Commonwealth citizens who have the right to remain in Britain are eligible to vote in elections – there is no requirement to be a British citizen.
Sarah Gall, 32, a data scientist and membership secretary for the UK’s Conservative Friends of Australia, said the country could be run “better”.
However, she supports Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s pledge to introduce mandatory conscription for 18 year olds if he is returned to office.
“My family are all military and I’m a big supporter of service, whether military or community, for one’s country, no matter if it’s your new county or the country you grew up in,” the Melburnian said.
Britain-Australia Society chief executive Louise Mulley, who has been in the UK for 20 years but hails from Brisbane, said the country was “in a state of international flux post Covid”.
“We need a strong leader who can make some tough decisions,” she said.
“People are interested in change and that’s why we live in a democracy but of course it is important to have a leader with experience who can effect change.
“I have three children between the ages of 17 and 22 and they feel concerned about issues; climate change, the housing crisis, future opportunities, so it’s important to exercise our voices, two of them will be voting.”
Brisbane-born president of Australian Liberals Abroad, Verity Barton, 38, will give her vote to the ruling Conservative Party, not Labour’s Keir Starmer.
“... because I believe in small government and lower taxes and they’re the only party pledging to cut taxes in this general election,” Ms Barton, a corporate adviser who has lived in the UK for seven years, said.
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