POLITICS & HISTORY
Is Tribalism Going to be the Conservative’s Downfall? JAKE ZEMMEL
If there’s one thing that the recent Conservative leadership election demonstrated, it’s that having the support of all your party’s factions is vital. Sunak’s cabinet shows the damage that rabid tribalism has caused the Conservatives. This cabinet is Frankenstein-esque, with its arms composed of ERG members, its legs One Nation conservatives, and the remnants of Trussites and Johnsonites left fighting trying to steer the Conservative Party in the direction they want. Of course, in politics there is always an element of appealing to various wings of parties, but the Conservative Party has become so immersed in its own factionalism that it has forgotten what the purpose of government is. The British public is facing a difficult winter with inflation untamed, many relying on food banks, the NHS services over-stretched and under-staffed, energy shortages, an unworkable Northern Ireland protocol and a growing military crisis in Ukraine. None of these are
inconsequential issues. At the same time, one would be forgiven for thinking that the only conversation amongst Conservatives in Westminster is the never-ending carousel of Ministerial resignations, sackings and appointments in turn precipitated by an unwinnable popularity contest at the very top of the party. Why is this contest unwinnable? Because in addition to factions within the parliamentary party, there is a growing chasm between the majority in the parliamentary party, who supported Sunak, and the party membership, who supported Truss, their ideological bedfellow. The recent election bypassed this chasm by going straight to the MPs, but as factionalism eats the Conservative party from the inside out, what does this Sunak government stand for other than preserving their own survival? However, this issue runs deeper than the recent months would suggest.
“Historically, the Conservative party has had a habit of pivoting and moulding its position to suit the needs of the electorate.”
JAKE ZEMMEL
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