The usual party atmosphere at the Conservative conference has been muted as MPs and activists rage at U-turns, communication blunders and Cabinet infighting. “It’s more like a wake,” one delegate commented.
MPs complain that they are on track to lose their seats as a result of decisions taken in No 10 – even as Liz Truss continues to believe that she can win over voters to her economic plans now that the “distraction” of abolishing the 45p top rate of tax has been scrapped.
“Whenever I see colleagues they just have their heads in their hands,” one backbencher told i. Another MP, who supported Rishi Sunak in the leadership election, joked: “When I walked past the protesters I felt like shouting, ‘Don’t blame me, I voted for the other guy!’”
A minister warned that MPs were feeling despondent at their prospects at the next election. “People think they will lose their seats, people think they’ll lose their jobs,” they said. “My mother watched Liz Truss and she said she’ll turn half the country to stone. And she’s right.”
In the days before the conference opened on Sunday, press headlines were dominated by extraordinary polls that showed Labour taking leads of as much as 33 points. Even if the true number ended up being half that, Sir Keir Starmer would be on course for a Tony Blair-style three-figure majority at the general election, which must come by January 2025 at the latest.
A party source said: “People are openly saying, ‘Oh well, we had a good run, 14 years in power is probably enough.’ It’s longer than Blair and Brown – but the difference is that they actually have policy achievements to point to. But there’s definitely a feeling from lots of people that we need a time in opposition.”
At a fringe meeting hosted by Priti Patel – the former home secretary rapidly becoming one of many high-profile thorns in the Prime Minister’s side – activists asked questions including whether the party should give up the next election as lost and whether Ms Truss should be immediately deposed. One MP confided: “Even my agent says they’re going to vote Labour at the next election.”
While expectations for party harmony were never high, given the economic chaos of the past fortnight, a string of embarrassing policy reversals have made things worse.
Cabinet ministers were not told that the 45p tax rate was staying until hours after it had been agreed in a late-night hotel room summit by Ms Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng. Thérèse Coffey, the Deputy Prime Minister, was roped in to start phoning round colleagues on Monday morning letting them know that the policy they had spent 10 days defending was now gone.
Then on Monday evening, MPs were telling reporters they wanted the Chancellor’s “medium-term fiscal plan” to be brought forward from 23 November – unaware that Mr Kwarteng’s team was briefing out precisely that at the very same time. One minister, told the news by a journalist, responded: “Why the f*** didn’t they tell the rest of us? It’s beyond embarrassing now.” This U-turn then became an O-turn on Tuesday when the Chancellor publicly insisted the date was in fact unchanged, even as aides insisted it could yet be fast-tracked.
This confusion was echoed by Cabinet ministers who have been openly defying Government policy, including the prospect of a real-terms cut to benefits next year. Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, claimed that the 45p policy change was the result of a “coup”. Meanwhile, sacked ministers including Nadine Dorries, Michael Gove and Grant Shapps were deliberately sowing havoc with potshots at the new administration.
Discussion on whether Ms Truss should be dethroned before the next election has been largely muted, but some backbenchers warn that could change when the party returns to Westminster. “There aren’t that many people complaining, but that’s because so many MPs have just stayed away,” one said. “And the people who aren’t talking are more dangerous than the people who are.” Some backbenchers openly admit they are only staying loyal because they are hoping to get a ministerial post at the next reshuffle.
The Prime Minister remains defiant. She is understood to believe that lowering the top tax rate would have been the right thing to do, but has told friends she did not want the row over the policy to continue and risk overshadowing her first few months in office. Despite pitching herself as the natural successor to Boris Johnson, she is set to continue the reversal of his policies and style, including by getting closer to the EU.
A No 10 source said that under the previous leader, “There was a lack of focus, because Boris never knew what he wanted to do and would always agree with the last person he spoke to.” But an MP commented: “The problem with Boris was that no one knew what he believed. But now we know what Liz believes, and everyone hates it!”
At least there’s some comfort to take from this absolute shit show.
From over here, the Tories “good run” looks like it’s demolished the economy and the reputation of the UK.
“Good run”: austerity, Brexit, worst COVID death toll in Europe, economic calamity.
By every measure the country is worse off now than in 2010.
It’s still gonna be a looooong 2 years if they don’t call a general.
5 comments
The usual party atmosphere at the Conservative conference has been muted as MPs and activists rage at U-turns, communication blunders and Cabinet infighting. “It’s more like a wake,” one delegate commented.
MPs complain that they are on track to lose their seats as a result of decisions taken in No 10 – even as Liz Truss continues to believe that she can win over voters to her economic plans now that the “distraction” of abolishing the 45p top rate of tax has been scrapped.
“Whenever I see colleagues they just have their heads in their hands,” one backbencher told i. Another MP, who supported Rishi Sunak in the leadership election, joked: “When I walked past the protesters I felt like shouting, ‘Don’t blame me, I voted for the other guy!’”
A minister warned that MPs were feeling despondent at their prospects at the next election. “People think they will lose their seats, people think they’ll lose their jobs,” they said. “My mother watched Liz Truss and she said she’ll turn half the country to stone. And she’s right.”
In the days before the conference opened on Sunday, press headlines were dominated by extraordinary polls that showed Labour taking leads of as much as 33 points. Even if the true number ended up being half that, Sir Keir Starmer would be on course for a Tony Blair-style three-figure majority at the general election, which must come by January 2025 at the latest.
A party source said: “People are openly saying, ‘Oh well, we had a good run, 14 years in power is probably enough.’ It’s longer than Blair and Brown – but the difference is that they actually have policy achievements to point to. But there’s definitely a feeling from lots of people that we need a time in opposition.”
At a fringe meeting hosted by Priti Patel – the former home secretary rapidly becoming one of many high-profile thorns in the Prime Minister’s side – activists asked questions including whether the party should give up the next election as lost and whether Ms Truss should be immediately deposed. One MP confided: “Even my agent says they’re going to vote Labour at the next election.”
While expectations for party harmony were never high, given the economic chaos of the past fortnight, a string of embarrassing policy reversals have made things worse.
Cabinet ministers were not told that the 45p tax rate was staying until hours after it had been agreed in a late-night hotel room summit by Ms Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng. Thérèse Coffey, the Deputy Prime Minister, was roped in to start phoning round colleagues on Monday morning letting them know that the policy they had spent 10 days defending was now gone.
Then on Monday evening, MPs were telling reporters they wanted the Chancellor’s “medium-term fiscal plan” to be brought forward from 23 November – unaware that Mr Kwarteng’s team was briefing out precisely that at the very same time. One minister, told the news by a journalist, responded: “Why the f*** didn’t they tell the rest of us? It’s beyond embarrassing now.” This U-turn then became an O-turn on Tuesday when the Chancellor publicly insisted the date was in fact unchanged, even as aides insisted it could yet be fast-tracked.
This confusion was echoed by Cabinet ministers who have been openly defying Government policy, including the prospect of a real-terms cut to benefits next year. Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, claimed that the 45p policy change was the result of a “coup”. Meanwhile, sacked ministers including Nadine Dorries, Michael Gove and Grant Shapps were deliberately sowing havoc with potshots at the new administration.
Discussion on whether Ms Truss should be dethroned before the next election has been largely muted, but some backbenchers warn that could change when the party returns to Westminster. “There aren’t that many people complaining, but that’s because so many MPs have just stayed away,” one said. “And the people who aren’t talking are more dangerous than the people who are.” Some backbenchers openly admit they are only staying loyal because they are hoping to get a ministerial post at the next reshuffle.
The Prime Minister remains defiant. She is understood to believe that lowering the top tax rate would have been the right thing to do, but has told friends she did not want the row over the policy to continue and risk overshadowing her first few months in office. Despite pitching herself as the natural successor to Boris Johnson, she is set to continue the reversal of his policies and style, including by getting closer to the EU.
A No 10 source said that under the previous leader, “There was a lack of focus, because Boris never knew what he wanted to do and would always agree with the last person he spoke to.” But an MP commented: “The problem with Boris was that no one knew what he believed. But now we know what Liz believes, and everyone hates it!”
At least there’s some comfort to take from this absolute shit show.
From over here, the Tories “good run” looks like it’s demolished the economy and the reputation of the UK.
“Good run”: austerity, Brexit, worst COVID death toll in Europe, economic calamity.
By every measure the country is worse off now than in 2010.
It’s still gonna be a looooong 2 years if they don’t call a general.