Tory turmoil grows over sleaze and recession

AFTER the UK’s political rollercoaster in 2022, the conventional wisdom had been that Rishi Sunak’s prime ministership might augur a period of more stable government. However, Tory turmoil has intensified in January, threatening his hold on power sooner than expected.

Since the end of the Second World War, most UK governments have generally been brought down by economic challenges, including in 1970, 1974, 1979, and 2010, or sleaze/ethics crises, as in 1964 and 1997. However, the scale of the Sunak team’s problems is underlined by the fact that it is currently failing on both counts.

It has been clear for many months that the government would face a tough economic landscape in 2023, with the significant prospect of a recession. However, what wasn’t widely appreciated, at the outset of Sunak’s prime ministership, is the degree to which sleaze would consume his top team too.