In recent weeks, the crisis within the Tory party has deepened with the departure of former undersecretary of Health Dan Poulter to the Labor Party. As May 2nd approaches, Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak could potentially lose half of his councillors in local elections.
Poulter, who is a doctor by profession, expressed his concerns about the deterioration of the National Health System (NHS) under previous Tory governments. He also criticized the Conservatives for shifting towards being a nationalist party and for prioritizing economic recovery over public health. Poulter had been considering joining the opposition party for some time before deciding to do so after Liz Truss’s brief tenure as Prime Minister.
Keir Starmer, Labor leader, welcomed Poulter’s move and stated that it was time to end the Tory chaos and take back control of the UK’s future. The departure of Poulter comes at a crucial moment for Rishi Sunak, who is facing potential losses in upcoming elections in England and Wales. Polls suggest that Labor has a significant advantage over the Conservatives, and there are rumors of early general elections to avoid a no-confidence vote against Sunak.
Downing Street is alarmed by this situation, with some sources suggesting that early elections may be called as a disciplinary measure against Sunak. However, he hopes to remain in office until October by banking on an economic recovery and implementing immigration policies that will improve his standing among voters. The loss of councilors in upcoming elections poses a significant challenge for the Conservative Party and could put Sunak’s leadership at risk if things do not improve.
In summary, Rishi Sunak’s leadership within the Conservative Party is currently under threat due to various factors such as Poulter’s defection to Labour Party, impending local elections results which could result in losses of half his councillors and polls indicating Labour having an advantage over Conservatives among voters.
