The name’s Sunak. Rishi Sunak
(Alamy)
Conservative Party conferences have been dominated by Boris Johnson for years. Back in 2002, when the party was in an existential crisis under the leadership of Iain Duncan Smith and Theresa May admonished Conservatives for being the “nasty party”, few, even in the conference hall, paid much attention to the speeches. It was only when a mop of tousled blond hair popping out of the top of a media scrum wafted along the Bournemouth seafront that excitement was injected into proceedings, as whispers of “it’s Boris” rippled through the ranks.
In October 2018, having resigned as Foreign Secretary from Mrs May’s government over her approach to securing the Brexit deal only months earlier, Johnson gave an alternative leader’s speech at a fringe event to an adoring crowd. The place was rammed.
In Manchester this week, following a successful vaccine rollout, a punchy decision to fully open up in contrast to the advice of many experts to continue with restrictions, and a refreshed cabinet, the Prime Minister is master of all he surveys. The American pollster, Frank Luntz, a contemporary of Johnson’s at Oxford, implores the Tories to “let Boris be Boris”. The argument endures that he is the Heineken politician – he reaches the parts that others simply can’t.
The Prime Minister, a classicist who has a keen sense of his place in history and once stated that they don’t put up statues to journalists”, is not going anywhere soon. But having tried to curtail the power of the Treasury by integrating the advis0ry teams of No 10 and 11, things have not entirely gone to plan. The political stock of his Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has risen. That rise continued yesterday, as party delegates in the hall were teased with the amuse bouche of a slick James Bond-esque opening video sequence, with Sunak receiving a standing ovation before he had uttered a word.
At the party’s gathering in the same city two years ago, when Sunak was Chief Secretary to the Treasury, few people had heard of him. Having only been elected to Parliament in 2015, his rise has been meteoric. His address to the conference faithful yesterday was “Sunak the Smooth: the sequel”. We have already watched his debut release over the last 18 months through his response to the pandemic.
Though lacking the oratorical flair of the likes of Cameron, Hague or Portillo, the speech was workmanlike and clearly delivered. Its purpose was twofold. The first, was to position himself as a fiscal conservative with the party faithful. To this end, he highlighted his concerns that government borrowing is close to 100 per cent of GDP and that profligacy was not only “economically irresponsible” but “immoral”. He also proclaimed that he was a “pragmatist” who finds “mindless ideology dangerous”. The contrast to many on the Left, who are driven by dogma, could not be starker.
Sunak also provided an insight into his time studying at Stanford, where he was surrounded by tech start-ups and he referred to a culture” and mindset” of innovation. Hence his announcement of 2,000 AI scholarships for young people.
His second aim was to provide a message to the British public that he has their backs. Like a reassuring family doctor, he announced an additional £500 million to support those coming off furlough to get back into work. There was only a passing reference to supply chain challenges, with the key message being the ability of people to secure good work, better skills and higher wages. The Chancellor rejected simply extending additional benefits. Philosophically, he emphasised the importance of individual agency in determining one’s own future. But some senior Conservatives are concerned that there is no clear path to tax cuts. Others have called for the Universal Credit pandemic uplift of £20 a week to be extended for an additional period.
Sunak has acquitted himself well during the crisis, as unflappable and level-headed. But with inflation on the rise, increasing energy prices, and structural skills deficits in the workforce which will not be addressed in the short-term solely by wage increases, choppy waters lie ahead. Given that his boss’s approach to cake is “having it and eating it”, this leaves the Chancellor with a challenging balancing act to pull off. Be prudent and fiscally restrained, but don’t kill off a nascent recovery.
But Sunak is astute and has displayed an instinct to make big political calls and get them right. He reminded his audience yesterday that back in 2016, as a newly-minted MP, he was told that his career would be over if he did not back Remain in the EU referendum. Instead, he reminded the Tory activists, he stuck to his principles and backed Leave. The contrast with his emerging leadership rival, the new Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, was subtle but clinical. The former Liberal Democrat member supported Remain, but has since pivoted effortlessly to be a Brexit cheerleader. Sunak was also one of Johnson’s earliest backers for the leadership, which has doubtless eased his ascent.
As the Chancellor finished his speech, with the audience once again on their feet, I turned to a delegate next to me and asked if Sunak would be the next party leader. He smiled mischievously. “Sunak is sound but Truss has quietly got on with her job.” She is certainly a favourite among party members, once again topping the ConservativeHome poll last month as the most popular Cabinet minister.
The pitch for a future leadership tussle is being gradually rolled. While such a contest is unlikely to happen for some time and certainly not before the next election, the Prime Minister as head groundsman has set up a tantalising prospect.
A Message from TheArticle
We are the only publication that’s committed to covering every angle. We have an important contribution to make, one that’s needed now more than ever, and we need your help to continue publishing throughout the pandemic. So please, make a donation.
