After partygate, mass defections, and then a gaming scandal: The UK's ruling Tory party appears to be heading for a historic election defeat.
The UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's days on Downing Street seem to be numbered. The Conservative Party (Tories), which has been in power for 14 years, has been shaken by scandals, defections, and dwindling voter support in recent years.
Now, opinion polls suggest that the party will get barely 20 percent of the votes in Thursday's election, far fewer than the disastrous 1997 election when the Labour Party, led by Tony Blair, celebrated a landslide victory.
We are witnessing the collapse of the Conservative Party in real-time, commented Emma Levin, deputy director of the British opinion institute Savanta, in June.
"Hasta la vista, baby!"
Trust in the Tory party has steadily declined since its peak in 2020, when then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson managed to push through the UK's exit from the EU after years of negotiations. However, Johnson, a colorful politician and former Mayor of London, quickly faced criticism for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The criticism culminated in the so-called partygate scandal, where Johnson and several party colleagues were seen partying at the government offices during lockdown. The outrage led to Tory MP Christian Wakeford defecting to arch-rival Labour, and Johnson was forced to resign. In July 2022, he left the House of Commons with the famous words "Hasta la vista, baby!"
His successor, Liz Truss, survived only 44 days as Prime Minister, something the tabloid newspaper Daily Star made fun of by comparing her short-lived career to the shelf life of iceberg lettuce. During her time in power, Truss attempted to push through a "mini-budget" with large unfunded tax cuts that sent shockwaves through financial markets and caused the pound to plummet.
Sinking ship
When Sunak called the parliamentary election in May, many observers saw it as a desperate attempt to keep a sinking ship afloat. The UK's crisis-ridden economy, record-high tax revenues, and sky-high living costs are likely to further diminish the government party's chances of retaining power, writes Politico.
Several high-profile Conservative politicians have announced that they will not stand for re-election. Two Tory MPs have backed Labour leader Keir Starmer, and to add insult to injury, several people close to Sunak are accused of having placed bets on the election date.
Opinion polls suggest that the Tory party is heading for its lowest rating since World War I, only a few percentage points away from the right-wing populist Reform Party.
