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Rishi Sunak’s Launch Video – Instant Verdict
Andrew Sparrow Rishi Sunak’s launch video is stylish and extremely professional. (Also, it’s not something that has been written in haste, since Sunak resigned on Tuesday night.) The former chancellor has spent a lot of time in the US, where the political consultancy industry is much more advanced than in the UK, and the video has all the hallmarks of a top production based on the best advice money can give. The technical quality is very good. It starts with Sunak telling a story and it is a story of his immigrant family background, hard work, success and his family. “Family is everything to me, and my family gave me the opportunities I could only dream of,” he says, in a formula that frames his privileged upbringing (he went to Winchester, one of the most elite private schools in the country); in the context of upward mobility. That’s where the love of country comes from, and the values Sunak says are “non-negotiable” for him – “patriotism, justice and hard work.” It ends with Sunak saying “we came from division” and how he wants to bring people together because “that’s the only way to succeed.” You could run an ad like this for almost any centrist candidate in a Western democracy, and it would probably work. These are messages that resonate. There is no politics in the video and little is specific. But – unsurprisingly – Sunak focuses on his record as chancellor, saying he “ran the toughest part of the government in the toughest times as we faced the Covid nightmare”. It’s hard to argue with that, and it will be at the heart of the campaign. More interestingly, Sunak also hints at the approach he will take to spend campaign arguments. The decisions we make today will determine whether the next generation of Britons will also have a chance at a better future. Are we facing this moment with sincerity, seriousness and determination? Or do we tell ourselves comforting tales that may make us feel better now, but will leave our children worse off tomorrow? One has to hold on to this moment and make the right decisions. While the “comfort fairy tale” may be seen by some as a good description of Brexit (which Sunak supported), it speaks to the public debt, his belief that excessive borrowing is irresponsible, that tax cuts must be paid for and that some of that Tory colleague are wrong to think that the tax cuts will pay for themselves (a point he made explicitly in his Mais lecture). A curious feature of the video is that it is aimed at the general public. But the general public will not get a vote on who becomes the next Tory leader. It is a decision of Conservative MPs and around 100,000 party members. That’s all from me for today. My colleague Nadeem Badshah is now taking over. Rishi Sunak Photo: Rishi Sunak Mark Spencer, the leader of the Commons, and another former Tory leader, is also backing Rishi Sunak. Mark Spencer: Rishi is the leader who can unite the Party, unite the entire country and win us the fifth general election victory. In serious times we need a person with a proven track record. Rishi has my full support. — Mark Spencer (@Mark_Spencer) July 8, 2022 Rishi Sunak has already got some Tory MPs to declare their support. This is from Mark Harper, the former chief whip. And this is from Jacob Young. He is the MP for Redcar and Cleveland. Lord Greenhalgh has resigned as building safety minister. In his resignation letter, he says he regretted the events that led to Boris Johnson’s decision to step down and that he has decided it is time for him to go too. Greenhalgh worked with Johnson at City Hall when Johnson was mayor. He was deputy mayor of police.
Rishi Sunak launches his Tory leadership campaign
Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor, launched his campaign for the Tory leadership with a slick video. In it he emphasizes his immigrant heritage, declares that “family is everything to me” and insists that he will not be a candidate offering “comforting tales”. It hasn’t been a good week for the Daily Mail. First, Boris Johnson announced he was resigning, despite the newspaper aggressively denouncing those trying to force him out. And then at midday today, Durham Police said Keir Starmer had “no case to answer”, despite the Mail running several stories earlier this year portraying it as a rival Partygate scandal. But they don’t give up easily in Mail (unlike PM). The Mail website leads with a version of the story titled: ‘Another band’: Tories furious as Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner are CLEARED of breaching lockdown rules during ‘Beergate’ rally. The title is based on this quote from Michael Fabricant, Johnson’s loyal Tory MP. He said: I am amazed how Durham Police decided not to fine Starmer and Rayner. Many people will think that, as a QC and barrister, Starmer got away with a conviction when, in fact, he blackmailed Durham Police by saying: “You’ll drop the Leader of the Opposition if you fine me.” Many ordinary people will feel that this is another stitch in the Foundation.’ Updated at 16.37 BST Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor, is set to declare himself a candidate for the Conservative leadership, The Times’ Stephen Swinford reports. He says Sunak will be the serious candidate for serious moments, with fiscal responsibility at the center of his pitch (making him sound like a Tory version of Gordon Brown). Break: He said Rishi Sunak is to formally declare his candidacy for the Tory leadership contest He will establish himself as the serious contender for serious moments Fiscal responsibility will be at the heart of his leadership purpose — Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) July 8, 2022 Updated at 16.37 BST
Seven new ministers were appointed
Downing Street announced seven more ministerial appointments. One appointment involves a minister, Stuart Andrews, who resigned as housing secretary on Wednesday in protest at Boris Johnson staying on as prime minister. After a day out of government, Andrew returns to government as Minister for Justice. Two government whips have been promoted to become ministers. Alan Mack is now the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the Treasury. It was a whip. And Sarah Dines is now a joint minister at the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office. And four fans have been given jobs. Richard Fuller is now financial secretary to the Treasury. Rehman Chisti is the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Lia Nici is now a leveling minister. And Brendan Clarke-Smith is now Education Secretary. Updated at 16.36 BST
Starmer says the Beergate resignation pledge shows how he can restore his faith in politics
In his opening statement at the press conference, Keir Starmer sought to link his pledge to stand down if fined over Beergate to a wider argument for restoring faith in politics. Here is the key quote. Our country is stuck in a dangerous quagmire. Everywhere you look things are broken. And nothing is fixed. People tell me when they look at those who run the country, they see a group of people completely out of touch with reality, whose words mean nothing and who put their self-interest above all else. Who could blame them for concluding that politics doesn’t matter and doesn’t work. It’s not just about Boris Johnson. This sense that the policy has failed has not surfaced in recent months. It’s been blistering away for years. And people have completely lost faith that this can change. That politics can be a force for good. The reason I made the promise I did was to change their minds. Because when politics is done well, when people can believe that politicians’ words mean something. When the power of government sits in the hands of those who are determined to serve the country. Like when Labor created the NHS. When we introduced the Equal Pay Act. And when we brought people together to bring peace to Northern Ireland. Politics can change lives. And that’s what I will do as prime minister. As an exercise in logic, this didn’t quite work. Starmer’s promise to resign if fined certainly showed he was serious about believing politicians should not be above the law. But, ironically, he could use the promise to show beyond doubt that he was a politician who kept his word if he were fined and resigned (although that’s what people think he would have done). But that is not the same as showing that politics can be a force for good. There are politicians of impeccable integrity who have failed to make policies that change lives for the better. And in the past some policies that did just that were implemented by fraudsters. However, the Beergate affair strengthened Starmer’s reputation for personal integrity, and he did so in the final passage of his speech. I won’t get everything right. I’m certainly not perfect, and I’ll make mistakes along the way. But what you will always get from me is someone who believes that honesty and integrity matter. Someone who will work every day for the good of the country. And someone who won’t betray the faith you show me. Keir Starmer speaking at his press conference. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Updated at 15.21 BST
Starmer rules out post-election coalition with SNP but not Lib Dems
Q: Will you rule out a coalition with the SNP and the Lib Dems? Yes, says Starmer. He says he rules out an alliance with the SNP, before or after an election. This is a principled decision. He says he cannot form an alliance with a party that wants to break up the UK. As for the Lib Dems, Starmer says he wants a Labor government. However, it does not rule out a post-election pact. And that’s all. THE…
