Sunak faces grim Tory repair job

Rishi Sunak could not have been more accurate than when, on finally winning his protracted battle to become Britain’s Prime Minister, he warned fellow Conservatives they must “unite or die”. As he enters 10 Downing Street, the party that has governed Britain for 12 years is in dire straits.

The chaos and lack of integrity of the tumultuous Boris Johnson years and the postscript of Liz Truss’s ill-starred, 44-day interregnum have taken their toll. A YouGov poll on Monday confirmed yet again that even with Mr Johnson and Ms Truss gone, the Tories under Mr Sunak face a monumental task in trying to stall the opposition Labour Party’s rapid advance towards what looks increasingly likely to be victory at the next election. Even under its stolid, low-wattage leader, Sir Keir Starmer, Labour has a lead of 30 points that would give it an election landslide and consign the Tories to political oblivion.

The next election is not due until 2025 but is more likely in 2024. There is time for Mr Sunak to recover voter support. But it is not going to be easy – and almost certainly will prove impossible if the factional warfare that surrounded Mr Johnson and his removal continues. The former prime minister has many qualities. But he was right, in the end, not to go ahead with his intended attempt to challenge Mr Sunak and get himself restored to Downing Street. Mr Johnson may claim he had the numbers to do so, but he has produced no evidence to prove that. And he would have been doing a disservice to the Conservative party and the country if he had persisted with his challenge. If he wants to retain any positive legacy, Mr Johnson must be in the vanguard of heeding Mr Sunak’s call for unity and ensure his supporters do the same. Anything less will make the party’s prospects of recovery even more unlikely and the challenges facing Mr Sunak more difficult.

The new British leader’s most urgent task is to restore the Conservatives’ reputation for competence and probity in government. His immediate job will be to navigate Britain through the crisis it faces over soaring inflation and declining living standards. He moves into Downing Street with a creditable record as chancellor of the exchequer under Mr Johnson. At 42 Mr Sunak is one of Britain’s youngest prime ministers. He is the first Downing Street incumbent of Asian origin and Hindu faith. His victory is a remarkable symbol of Britain’s diversity. After the shambles that was Mr Johnson’s administration and Ms Truss’s brief stay in Downing Street, the challenges he faces in trying to dig the Tory party out of the deep hole it is in could not appear to be more daunting.