Rishi Sunak Spends Private Time As Number Of Conservative MPs Quitting Race Reaches 78
On May 22, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the country”s general election would be conducted on July 4, though the ruling conservative party has time until January 2025 in office. Notably, the Prime Minister has declared the election at a time when his party is trailing behind the Labour by double digits in ratings, according to several media reports.
Going from bad to worse, Cabinet ministers Michael Gove and Andrea Leadsom recently announced their decision to quit the race in this summer”s polls. The tally of the resigned leaders in the party has reached a record of 78 members now. Former prime minister Theresa May and former defense minister Ben Wallace are among other senior MPs stepping away from frontline politics.
Notably, amid the mass exodus of veteran leaders of the Parliament, the Indian-origin Prime Minister is reportedly spending time with his close aides and family members. The Guardian reported the news as “unusual,” adding that the Prime Minister could be discussing the election strategy with his close advisors away from limelight.
It was amid the growing challenges to the ruling government that Cabinet Minister Michael Gove on Friday announced her decision to quit the race on social media. Announcing her decision, Gove wrote that he knew “the toll office can take, as do those closest to me… No one in politics is a conscript. We are volunteers who willingly choose our fate. And the chance to serve is wonderful. But there comes a moment when you know that it is time to leave. That a new generation should lead.”
Following Gove, Andrea Leadsom declared her decision to leave the party”s candidacy. In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Leadsom wrote, “After careful reflection, I have decided not to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming election.”
Referring to Sunak”s absence in the campaign, opposition Labour MP Stella Creasy posted on social media: “Sunak is already in need of a duvet day. Britain is already in need of a different government.”
However, the opposition Labour Party”s campaigns are in full swing, highlighting issues such as weakening the economy and raising living costs.
