Rishi Sunak is making it clear his priority is the economic emergency in this country, the Tories might start looking forward to a general election, says Mark Dolan

Rishi Sunak is making it clear his priority is the economic emergency in this country, the Tories might start looking forward to a general election, says Mark Dolan
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Mark Dolan

By Mark Dolan


Published: 30/10/2022

- 21:23

Updated: 14/02/2023

- 10:33

Opinium’s latest poll shows that Labour’s lead has dropped six points from 27 to 16, while the Tories have gained five back.

Well who whod’a thunk it? The Rishi bounce is in full flight.

Opinium’s latest poll shows that Labour’s lead has dropped six points from 27 to 16, while the Tories have gained five back. Keir Starmer’s party now command the support of 44% of voters, compared to 28% backing the Conservatives.


But it doesn’t stop there.

A poll in today’s Observer reveals Sunak has overturned Labour’s lead in terms of who voters trust most, to manage the economy. 33% said they would prefer “a Conservative government led by Rishi Sunak” to manage the economy, with 29% choosing “a Labour government led by Keir Starmer”. Tory loyalists are coming back too. Last week, only 41% of Conservative voters chose a Tory government led by Liz Truss as their preference. The latest poll shows that 88% now choose a government led by Sunak.

And last but not least, Sunak’s personal ratings are particularly noteworthy. A poll this week by BMG, shows more voters believe Sunak would make a better Prime Minister than Keir Starmer.

All of this, after less than a week in office. Poor old Liz Truss’s honeymoon was a blink and you'll miss it affair, but I think it's likely a feel good factor around this new PM, will be with us for weeks and potentially months to come. Why? Because he’s hit the ground running. And sent out all the right messages.

Like this story in The Sun this week, that he is going to end woke policing, instructing offices to give up the Macarena and lovebombing protesters, and instead take up enforcing the law.

Ensuring that coppers police the streets, rather than tweets. And apprehending burglars, muggers and rapists, rather than housewives on facebook.

And the Telegraph report Sunak is going go further in the war on woke, by introducing laws that protect the status of biological women and female only spaces, and enforce the legal primacy of biology over gender.

As well as clamping down, on bonkers and highly inappropriate, so-called sex education classes to our youngsters, telling them they are in the wrong body, because the like dressing up, or had a bad day.

Sunak has decided to skip the cop27 summit. Brilliant messaging. He's making it clear to the British public that his priority is the economic emergency in this country. That he hasn't got time to jump on a private chat and sip Prosecco with Bill Gates and Tony Blair. That he needs to be here, working night and day, to tackle the national debt, and especially inflation, which is at the root of the cost of living crisis.

And his decision to copout of cop 27 is ideologically significant too, because it suggests he is pushing back on the undebated, unproven and undemocratic net zero agenda, which threatens to decimate the economy and destroy our way of life, whilst China, India, America and Brazil burn fossil fuels for fun. Of course we've got to take care of the planet and who doesn't want clean, sustainable renewables and of course nuclear, in the years ahead. But it's quite clear from this bold move, which is annoying all the right people, that Sunak does not worship at the altar of climate change. Meanwhile, he has shown amazing political coverage, by reinstalling the disgraced Home Secretary Suella Braverman just six days after her ignominious departure.

Suella Braverman is a loose cannon. She's made mistakes, sending official emails, via a private email address, unacceptable in a Home Secretary.

And with allegations she has shared politically sensitive documents in recent months, she appears to be leakier than the Titanic. I'll be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if her next move, is to publish the nuclear codes on TikTok. But Sunak is not a stupid man. Why would he create a headache for himself, by reappointing and today defending someone, that many consider politically damaged goods? Because she's serious about tackling illegal immigration. And when it comes to voters concerns, alongside the NHS and the economy, stopping people entering this country illegally - at the moment 1000 a day – is at the top of the list. We are a tolerant and welcoming country, but will not tolerate and will not welcome people breaking the law, chucking their phones and identification in the sea as they make that perilous crossing, and running for the hills on arrival. It's unsustainable, it’s unedifying and it's unacceptable.

It's fantastic to have a prime minister that's willing to make an unpopular appointment, by taking the view that policy trumps politics and that if she gets the job done in the home office, securing our borders and making the streets of Britain safe, she was worth the political baggage that accompanied her.

International financial markets are warming to our new prime minister too. The Sunak bounce, has been replicated in the value of the pound, which is comfortably where it was before that ill-fated mini budget, if not higher. Government borrowing has nosedived as well, and with unemployment historically low and inflation having likely peaked, partly thanks to falling energy prices, dare we dream that happier days lie ahead and that we've actually got a prime minister that's up to the job, and can deliver for Britain? Plus Sunak is a well reported lockdown sceptic, who stopped Christmas being cancelled last year – as reported by the mail on Sunday - so we can hopefully rule out any ruinous covid measures this winter.

Christmas is safe with Santa Sunak – ho ho ho. With everything he has said and done so far, our new PM has demonstrated he has two things: a smart political antenna and a backbone. It's early days and many things can go wrong, but I can't think of a stronger debut in recent political history. He’s not everyone's cup of tea, but if he stays on this path, the sky’s the limit. Far from dreading the next election, the Tories might start looking forward to it. And at this rate, it could come Sunak rather than later.

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