SwedenLivingWorld world_2_fill WorldBusiness BusinessSports sports-soccer SportsEntertainmentEntertain

After the Election: This is Why the Tories Sank

Brexit agreement, party atmosphere, and tax relief. But also pandemic, partygate, and record-high taxes. So the Tory Party went from top to bottom in just over 1,660 days.

» Updated: 16 July 2024, 15:44

» Published: 05 July 2024

After the Election: This is Why the Tories Sank
Photo: Kin Cheung/AP/TT

Brexit agreement, party atmosphere, and tax cuts.

But also pandemic, partygate, and record-high taxes.

So the Tory Party went from top to bottom in just 1,660 days.

December 2019. The Conservatives win the British election with a margin not seen since Margaret Thatcher's days. After nine years in power and a Brexit referendum, the people have given the party new confidence.

A historic election, which gives us all the opportunities to respect the British people's democratic will and make our country better, said Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Less than five years later, the Tories' seats in the House of Commons seem to have more than halved, and the party is struggling to find a way out of the darkness.

How did it go so wrong for the Conservatives?

It started so well, with a clear yes in the House of Commons to Johnson's Brexit agreement days before Christmas 2019, and the lowering of EU flags around the country on January 31, 2020.

But then the first reports of something entirely different began to emerge, about a virus we came to call covid-19. Six months later, criticism of Johnson's inadequate crisis management began to spread.

That was just the beginning.

Five promises became four betrayals

When the country was largely forced into brutal lockdown, the alcohol flowed at parties in Downing Street, and soon "partygate" became the word that captured the Johnson era – and helped to bring down the Prime Minister himself.

On September 6, 2022, Liz Truss took office, during a raging energy crisis, which she transformed into an even greater crisis with promises of enormous tax cuts, and the pound sank to record-low levels.

A U-turn didn't help, and on October 20, 44 days of turmoil were over – a record-short period that could have been even shorter if it hadn't also been marked by the death of Queen Elizabeth two days after Truss's entry into Downing Street.

Johnson hoped for a comeback, but Rishi Sunak was elected with hopes of stability.

But his five promises to the people were hampered by the war in Ukraine. It didn't become a stabilized economy or reduced national debt. Instead, income tax was raised to the highest levels in half a century.

Heavy rain and pop hits

The waiting times in healthcare have not been reduced, and the number of migrants crossing the English Channel has not decreased. The fact that the inflation rate has decreased can be seen as a small consolation when the wallet has shrunk.

The fact that Labour replaced the unpopular Jeremy Corbyn with Keir Starmer as the opposition's voice didn't help the government either.

When the Prime Minister announced new elections on May 22, it was therefore not many who missed the symbolism when the rain poured down.

At least not those who heard the music from the street next door, where demonstrators played the D:reams pop hit from the 1990s:

"Things can only get better".

Tags
TTT
By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

More news

New death after methanol alarm in tourist town
1 MIN READ

New death after methanol alarm in tourist town

Iran's IAEA Response: New, Stronger Centrifuges
2 MIN READ

Iran's IAEA Response: New, Stronger Centrifuges

South Korea: What North Korea gets from Russia
1 MIN READ

South Korea: What North Korea gets from Russia

At Least Two Dead in Russian Attack on Sumy
1 MIN READ

At Least Two Dead in Russian Attack on Sumy

Expert: Putin's robot attack a political marking
2 MIN READ

Expert: Putin's robot attack a political marking

Scattering Ashes at Machu Picchu – Security Tightened
1 MIN READ

Scattering Ashes at Machu Picchu – Security Tightened

Zelensky: Putin is testing you
1 MIN READ

Zelensky: Putin is testing you

Orban defies ICC - invites Netanyahu
2 MIN READ

Orban defies ICC - invites Netanyahu

Trump chooses new minister after Gaetz's resignation
2 MIN READ

Trump chooses new minister after Gaetz's resignation

Norway: Suspected spy worked at the US Embassy
1 MIN READ

Norway: Suspected spy worked at the US Embassy

Pistorius does not want to take over power from Scholz
1 MIN READ

Pistorius does not want to take over power from Scholz

40 People Killed in Attack in Pakistan
1 MIN READ

40 People Killed in Attack in Pakistan

Police Investigation: Prosecute Bolsonaro for Coup Attempt
1 MIN READ

Police Investigation: Prosecute Bolsonaro for Coup Attempt

Reports: North Korean General Injured in Ukraine
1 MIN READ

Reports: North Korean General Injured in Ukraine

Gaetz drops out after suspicions of buying sex
2 MIN READ

Gaetz drops out after suspicions of buying sex

USA imposes new sanctions on Russia
1 MIN READ

USA imposes new sanctions on Russia

Russia significantly increases defense budget
1 MIN READ

Russia significantly increases defense budget

Foreign Minister: Sweden Supports the ICC's Work
2 MIN READ

Foreign Minister: Sweden Supports the ICC's Work

Expert: ICC decision puts Germany in a difficult situation
2 MIN READ

Expert: ICC decision puts Germany in a difficult situation

ICC: Netanyahu and Gallant accused of war crimes
3 MIN READ

ICC: Netanyahu and Gallant accused of war crimes