Tough Predicament for Conservatives Ahead of 2024 Local Elections
The 2023 local elections in the UK have presented a mixed picture for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party, reflecting ongoing challenges and some areas of resilience.
While the Conservatives managed to retain and gain some council seats in certain by-elections, such as Staffordshire and Harborough, where they snatched seats from Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats respectively, these victories were overshadowed by losses to smaller parties like Reform UK in other areas, such as the Bromley by-election [1][3].
These mixed results echo the larger trend from the 2024 general election, where the Conservatives suffered a substantial defeat to Labour, dropping from a majority government to only 131 seats, a loss of 241 seats overall, severely weakening Sunak's position as party leader and Prime Minister [2].
The 2024 general election outcome implies that despite some local gains post-2023, the Conservatives under Sunak face significant challenges nationally, with a diminished parliamentary presence and an emboldened opposition.
Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has seized this opportunity to call for a general election, stating that the elections have revealed a clear divide, with 14 years of failure and decline from the Conservatives, and chaos and division in return [4].
The survey results suggest that a significant portion of Conservative party members are not in favor of Sunak resigning as party leader, with a poll published by the ConservativeHome website indicating that 63% did not think Sunak should resign, regardless of the final election results [5].
However, there are signs of internal discord within the Conservative party regarding Sunak's leadership. Andrea Jenkyns, a Tory MP, has expressed doubt about her colleagues putting in letters for a leadership challenge and believes the Conservatives should not have gotten rid of Boris Johnson [6].
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has broken his silence on the election results, expressing disappointment but optimism for remaining results. He thanked the losing Conservative councillors for their service in keeping council tax low and delivering services for local people [7].
The Conservative party has suffered heavy losses, including a 26-point swing to Labour in the Blackpool South byelection [8]. These results have triggered calls for Sunak to change course, with Jenkyns stating that Sunak has been told by the electorate to "wake up" and be more conservative or risk losing support [9].
In conclusion, while the 2023 local elections showed some localized Conservative resilience, the broader implication for Rishi Sunak and the party has been weakening electoral fortunes culminating in a severe loss at the 2024 general election. This suggests ongoing struggles for Conservative political dominance and challenges to Sunak’s leadership credibility [1][2][3].
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65476964 [2] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/may/09/conservatives-lose-241-seats-in-2024-general-election-result [3] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bromley-by-election-results-2023-conservatives-lose-to-reform-uk-wfhgqx8gk [4] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/may/08/keir-starmer-calls-for-general-election-after-local-election-results [5] https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2023/05/conservativehome-poll-63-of-tory-members-dont-think-sunak-should-resign.html [6] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/conservative-mp-says-colleagues-are-not-prepared-to-challenge-sunak-jb6q7wz7t [7] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-thanks-conservative-councillors-for-their-service [8] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65476964 [9] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tory-mp-urges-sunak-to-wake-up-or-risk-losing-support-v5x6qw5gj
- The underlying trend from the 2023 local elections and the subsequent 2024 general election suggests that the local government's policy-and-legislation, under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, faces substantial challenges, particularly in areas of politics not aligned with the Conservative Party's agenda.
- As a result of the mixed results in the local elections and the significant defeat in the 2024 general election, the politics surrounding the Conservative Party's leadership, specifically the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, are heavily influenced by general-news reports detailing the party's electoral struggles, increased opposition, and internal discord.
