A former cabinet minister said: “We can’t afford any more gaffes like the ones he’s had, standing in the rain and getting in a muddle with the football. He’s just got to sharpen up, his team has got to sharpen up.
“I don’t think he can afford to call it a reset, although some people will call it a reset. He has just got to get on with it and make his mark. We can’t afford any more slip-ups, that’s just handing it to Starmer.
“He really needs to get out there, all guns blazing, very professionally but also get out and talk to real people, and not staged events. I want humility, not arrogance, and a sense that we’re moving forward.”
Another former cabinet minister warned the election campaign risked becoming “a save his ski’ operation for Rishi” after a record 78 Conservative MPs announced they would not be standing again, exceeding the previous record of 75 set in 1997 when New Labour won by a landslide.
Eleven of those announced they would not stand after Mr Sunak revealed the general election date.
“The damage he has done reputationally to us is enormous,” they said. “Party members are absolutely livid, they are very angry, they basically feel Rishi has used the Tory Party for his own purposes.
“He thought that springing the election of people would mean people would not stand down – but it has had the opposite effect.”
A Conservative MP who is running said they had “wanted more time to plan” and had been left “very much on the back foot” by Downing Street calling a snap election.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
