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When Rishi Sunak addressed many of his MPs while on vacation in Berkshire this week, voters would punish the Tories at the ballot box if they “give more psychodrama” to the country. I warned you.
But for many Conservative MPs, the comments are likely to be interpreted as wishful thinking rather than as a threat to match.
As the prime minister was trying to rally his troops, he chose to host a team-building exercise at the same Windsor hotel that shook the Brexit deal with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this week. At the time, one of his predecessors was issuing Clarion. his own call.
Windsor how Tory Australian poll guru Isaac Levido has a path to winning elections by showing Conservatives can ‘work as a team’ Boris Johnson, 25 miles east, was giving a speech at Westminster, but refused to vote, as he had detailed to MPs from the United States. His leader’s new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland called for new tax cuts and criticized the party’s position in opinion polls.
Tory MPs now believe that Mr Sunak’s attempts to govern through politics and quiet diplomacy, as his deal with the EU has shown, could be undermined by the commotion surrounding Mr Johnson. I am concerned about
“The man is a narcissist and has no loyalty to the party that made him,” one former minister quipped.
Johnson’s decision to speak out on the Brexit deal in Northern Ireland was seen by some as ominous for the current prime minister and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
“It could be troublesome for Rishi if things don’t start to turn around,” said the veteran Conservative MP.
But Mr Johnson is facing his own problems, with tougher demands from lawmakers over partygate looming in just over two weeks.
Downing Street, meanwhile, was cautiously optimistic that an alternative to Mr Johnson’s fundamentally flawed protocol arrangement could be secured and accepted by all sides.
No blanket refusal from the DUP or ERG within 48 hours of publication of the Framework Agreement was considered a victory.
Mr Sunak was lauded for securing a deal that appeared to extract some key concessions from Brussels on the scope of EU law and regulation in Northern Ireland, particularly through the implementation of the so-called ‘stormed brake’.
For Whitehall’s observers and supporters of the prime minister, it was proof that the ex-City banker’s sleek-style technocratic politicanism could have yielded greater benefits than Mr Johnson’s gunboat diplomacy. .
This is the approach Mr Sunak intends to pursue to secure further compromise on the Straits Migrants issue with striking nurses and President Emmanuel Macron.
as revealed by I Last week, the prime minister personally intervened in a dispute with the Royal College of Nurses, deeming their request to be a special case and firmly supported by the public.
In the meantime, he is expected to rekindle the “Bromance” with his French counterpart. The pair have many similarities. In particular, they have a past as a banker and a penchant for expensive suits and shoes with high heels.
Sunak’s parliamentary supporters believe his university approach to the country’s most pressing issues could even change the party’s fortunes in critical cases.
a friend said I: “Certainly, I think the election will be on the upside if things continue as they are. It’s the beginning of the drumbeat of action.”
The lawmaker added that “Mr Rishi’s deal has really cut off his wings”, despite Mr Johnson’s outrage over Brexit.
Earlier this week, the Johnson faction argued that their champion remains a powerful political force. He said he chose to criticize the framework as part of a “frugal attack” and thereby build a base of support from staunch Brexit groups in Britain. tree party.
One of Mr Johnson’s supporters said a move like this was the beginning of a call to arms for his supporters to rally, with Sue Gray joining the Labor Party as Sir Keir Sturmer’s chief of staff. The news of trying to join is seen as a potential starting point for Mr. Johnson to challenge himself to take back the initiative.
“He’s making a name for himself, but he’s still not impressive,” said one veteran Tory. He will be seen as a martyr plastered by the Left.”
Backventure added that any move from Johnson would “come after local elections and culminate around the party convention” in October.
His supporters see Sunak’s logical and professional approach to policy issues as a weakness rather than a strength, despite his apparent success.
“The consensus is that Rishi is the manager whereas Boris has the vision,” said a pro-Johnson ally of the party. I.
But since then, the partygate allegations that played a role in Johnson’s downfall have returned to the frontlines. On Friday, a panel of parliamentarians investigating whether the former prime minister misled parliament on the matter released a series of his WhatsApp messages.
Labor leaders, meanwhile, believe their decision to back Mr Sunak’s Windsor Framework in the House of Commons vote is “locking in” Johnson over Brexit.
However, they reject the idea that passing the bill means the prime minister is out of trouble.
“Getting people to be able to buy British sausages again in Northern Ireland is not a success, it’s a bare minimum hope. They will not be sent back to work,” said the shadow cabinet member.
The No 10 will be keen to avoid pushing a new Brexit deal against the backdrop of the Labor vote. But as Brexit fatigue spreads within the party, he may escape fresh attacks.
Some at ERG are “unwilling” to do another scrap around the issue, according to a senior backventure. “And honestly, they knew a compromise had to be reached and the deal was drafted by people who were in the ERG hierarchy,” MP added.
But Johnson remains a problem for the prime minister. Snack’s supporters have criticized the former prime minister’s intervention for fear of handing over the keys to Downing Street to Labor.
“Boris had his chance and he blew it,” said the Tory official. “A moment of silence would be most desirable now.”
But they don’t see the new challenge Johnson faces over Partygate as a victory of any kind.
As one of the prime minister’s supporters put it, “Rishi would rather this go away.”