Did you feel a sense of calm this week?
The appointment of Rishi Sunak as our new Prime Minister seemed to instil a sense of calm. But is it merely an oasis, or can he turn this into protracted stability?
Don’t forget about my brand new podcast. This week, we went exceptionally viral.
It’s called Whitehall Sources.
This article was first published in The Stornoway Gazette.
As you will know by now, we have a new Prime Minister. Again. This week, I spent quite a bit of time on Downing Street for Times Radio as the chaos unfolded, heightened, peaked and abated. I noted last Thursday, that on my second trip to the world’s most famous street, I was witnessing the resignation of a second Prime Minister. My third trip, on Monday, for what turned out to be the conclusion of the Conservative Party’s latest leadership contest, was, actually, a lot less tense and dramatic.
Monday, perhaps, didn’t feel as action-packed, hair-raising or frantic as was anticipated. The morning was filled with Penny Mordaunt hanging in there. After Boris Johnson magnanimously - and mercifully - abandoned the Conservative party and the country over the weekend, just two were left - Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt. Rishi Sunak was going to get on the ballot paper with plenty of headroom - something with which he and I are both familiar. Penny Mordaunt’s chances were less clear, as the number of public declarations of support from Conservative MPs was so low - around 30, for most of the morning.
The messages from her campaign injected a little bit of drama, which as a side note, is something to which we’ve all become slightly unhelpfully hooked. But then, with two minutes until the 2pm deadline, the Penny dropped. As well as rolling out the red carpet for the coronation of Prime Minister Sunak, her dropping out paved the way for an almost instant stillness.
This desire for stillness and security has permeated all of our conversations for months with rising energy bills, an uncontrollably aggressive Russia, and seemingly unchangeably low wages versus untouchable rising mortgage and living costs. And it seemed this stillness was recognised in an instant at Westminster.
This speedy leadership contest concluded and someone with whom there is a sense of familiarity - Rishi Sunak - was stepping up to lead. The familiarity comes from the pandemic - he was on TV, he dished out money to people all over the country. There was a feeling of “we know this person who’s done things for us in the past and we understand what that means and can translate it to a sense of calm and hope today.”
Our listeners start using words like “safe”, “reassured” and “stability.”
TalkTV’s Political Editor, Kate McCann, said that she never felt more affected by the mood of Westminster than she did last week. After the chaotic fracking debate, she saw adults in tears, at the end of their tether, trying to find a way out of the fraught tension.
Does Rishi Sunak represent a stopover, an oasis from political madness and feed our nostalgia for normality? Or can this be a protracted break from chaos and instability?
I spoke to a married couple who run a small business who told me the following, directly across the road from the Palace of Westminster:
“I like the Conservatives but not at the moment. I would rather it was stable, though it doesn’t appear to be. Rishi Sunak is probably the best option. I don’t like in-fighting. They don’t seem very united. But Rishi Sunak being Prime Minister now is probably a good thing and I think I could probably vote Conservative in the next election.
“I’m glad there’s some sort of resolution to the chaos that there’s been in the last few weeks. I’ve always voted Conservative but in the last year I’d never have voted Conservative again. I think if they pull together and get some stability in the party, they’ll get my vote in a couple of years but at the moment, the jury’s out. He’s not a leader that’s been endorsed by anybody but I’m glad it’s been sorted out quickly this time round.
“I have nothing personal against Liz Truss - she just was not the right person for the job.
“It felt to me like we were freefalling - the markets, the economy was going wild. I’m just hoping for a bit of stability. We run a business and we really hope we’re going to get some help from the government for our small business.”
In one sense, Rishi Sunak has been blessed with the uncertainty of Liz Truss and that he is the one who closed that chapter. On the other hand, there is still going to be a huge amount of hardship for people coming down the road.
We do not know enough about his policy ambitions - what he will pursue and what he will do. Speaking to those who know him, there is a sense that he is something of an honourable man - intelligent, incisive, good and warm company and supportive of staff and colleagues. However, the challenges he faces on our behalf are immense. The challenges we face as he leads are immense. Crises like these are personal - we feel them, they are in our homes and in our schools and in our lives. He acknowledged the mistakes of his short-term predecessor. He acknowledged the difficulties within his own political party. But the time for inward-looking Conservative brawling is over. We face a tough winter, it is stillness and stability we crave and Rishi Sunak needs to deliver.
Inciteful and well balanced as usual. I hope the Rishi has the courage to increase tax for those that can afford it. I would willingly pay an additional penny on the base rate if I saw it put to good use.
We have to realise that the Covid cost and the war need to be paid for as well as infrastructure investment in the future.
The Government have failed the Social Care system despite Boris having an oven ready solution. That solution must be burned to a crisp by now.
Keep them coming Callum.
David from Lincolnshire EBM No 275
Before moving to France and then Bexit, I never really thought an awful lot about politics. My parents always voted Conservative and I followed suit. With all the recent political activity and being retired with more time on my hands I have been paying a lot more attention. My husband is extremely knowledgeable and well read regarding politics and now when we go out for a drink it becomes the main topic of discussion! I just want to say that your emails and new Whitehall Sources podcasts are the best thing for me, I now feel confident and able to contribute to our discussions (helped by a glass or two of wine of course!!), many thanks Calum.