UK: Tory MPs didn't expect a July general election - and now they are rightly furious

[RandySF]

If the prime minister’s announcement of a snap election had been an event in a scripted drama, we might accuse the director of laying it on a little thick. The rain might be justified as pathetic fallacy, but having Things Can Only Get Better blasting on a tinny speaker was a bit over the top.

At least the police finally managed to prevent the song from being played any further. They must have been no less caught off guard than the country – including Tory activists and politicians.

Why now? Even on the morning of the statement, it would have been difficult to believe that Rishi Sunak was really about to go to the country, if for no other reason than that Downing Street’s main media story had been a stern warning to voters to start stockpiling canned food and bottled water – hardly an auspicious backdrop to an election campaign.

There was a case for an early election, to be held in May. Coinciding with the local elections might have lifted the Tory turnout, saved councillors and allowed CCHQ to fight the campaign with a stronger ground machine, its ranks not yet thinned by the loss of almost 500 councillors.



https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/23/july-general-election-tory-mps-may-october

[NanaCat]

1. Tory and 'rightly' do not belong in the same sentence

Because the only thing they're right about is the political wing they belong to.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Notable about that piece is the author - deputy editor of ConservativeHome

and it's pretty tepid on the Tory prospects.

[Emrys]

3. It's been widely observed that Sunak is rubbish at politics

The timing and visuals of his announcement yesterday did nothing to dispel that idea.

I don't know about "rightly" in the headline - the Tories in power haven't been noted for their concern for others, and a number of Conservatives yesterday seem to have come to the belated conclusion that Sunak only cares for himself and will be fine whatever the election outcome, probably moving to the US (lucky US) for whatever lucrative adventures await him.

The loudspeaker didn't sound "tinny" on the newsfeeds I saw, loud and clear and reverberant, and nearly drowning Sunak out at some points.

Why on earth they decided to stage the announcement outside in a biblical downpour with no overcoat, sou'wester or umbrella for shelter when the Tories under Johnson had spent millions installing a grand press room in Downing Street is another matter. If they wanted a gravitas boost from the visual of Sunak at a lectern outside number 10, that was counteracted by the evident lack of waterproofness of his expensive, if ill-fitting, suiting and the distraction of wondering when his liberally applied hair gel would finally give up the ghost.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. How to be rubbish: Bring up the Euro football in Wales when they didn't qualify

The prime minister was visiting a biscuit distribution centre in the marginal constituency of Erewash, where he gave a stump speech to people who appeared to be employees of the business.

He took unchallenging questions from two men who were later found to be Conservative politicians, one of them from a different county. Ben Hall-Evans and Ross Hills were first identified by Byline Times, with Hills confirming to the outlet that he had been present.

The incident raised questions about whether the men were “plants” to ask Sunak questions on his preferred topics, and whether the Conservatives will pursue a controlling approach to the election campaign.

Later, Sunak appeared in Barry, south Wales, where he asked people in a brewery if “all the football” of the Euros would be good for revenue. It was quickly pointed out to him that Wales had not qualified for the tournament.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/may/23/questioners-at-sunak-warehouse-speech-turn-out-to-be-tory-councillors-derbyshire-euros-wales

[Emrys]

5. Sunak's campaign organizers are about a decade late to be writing scripts for "The Thick of It"

Unlike that programme, I think Sunak might benefit from canned laughter to make it all less excruciating.

He took unchallenging questions from two men who were later found to be Conservative politicians, one of them from a different county.

This was covered in passing on Channel 4 News tonight. Even if Byline Times hadn't done its homework, they'd have seemed fawning to such an unlikely extent that it would have stretched incredulity beyond twanging point.

The incident raised questions about whether the men were “plants” to ask Sunak questions on his preferred topics, and whether the Conservatives will pursue a controlling approach to the election campaign.

I think the apposite phrase would be, "No shit, Sherlock."

Which all drives me to ask a question that's occurred to me several times over the last few years: Why would a truly filthy-rich man with presumably a few more years left on his clock choose to put himself through all this?

I think we can dismiss any concept of civic duty as a motivation, however misguided.

Does he have something to prove, perhaps to his daddy? Or does he have such a chip on his shoulder, for whatever unfathomable reason, that he feels we all should have to suffer too?