The Conservative party convenes in Manchester for its annual conference this week, presenting a weary, divided, and intellectually bankrupt image. While Rishi Sunak’s governance is supported by a solid constitutional foundation, his electoral mandate is the weakest of any modern-day prime minister. Boris Johnson’s mendacious character has rendered his promises worthless, and Liz Truss’s policies are driven by her own ideological fantasies rather than a published manifesto.
The current prime minister, who was not elected by the public but rather appointed by his parliamentary colleagues, successfully restored financial stability and professional credibility to a country that appeared ludicrous. However, this leaves Mr. Sunak without a clear governing purpose. While opinion polls reflect a significant desire for regime change, most Tories do not believe it is likely or even desirable. After 13 years in power, the party must confront its failures and address profound questions regarding its identity.
Although all parties have factions and competing ideologies, 21st-century Conservatism encounters exceptional conflicts by presenting itself as both a reactionary guardian of traditional culture and a radical uprising. It alternates between liberalism and nationalism, fixated on global status while resenting international obligations. The party mouths commitments to public services and environmental protection but remains ideologically averse to the necessary state interventions that would honor those promises.
Brexit epitomizes these contradictions and impedes their resolution. Since 2016, the Tories have become increasingly radicalized, promoting a doctrine that promised a national renewal separate from the EU. Most Conservatives are unwilling to acknowledge the magnitude of this fundamental error. In a similar vein to historical utopian revolutionaries and political fraudsters, Brexit hardliners shifted from unrealistic promises to scapegoating to deflect blame for their failure.
This explains the aggressive rhetoric from Home Secretary Suella Braverman toward refugees and the culture wars on peripheral issues that distract from the country’s economic stagnation. While Mr. Sunak may gain some electoral advantage by opposing speed limits and anti-pollution measures as a crusade for motorists’ freedom, it indicates that the prime minister lacks substantial ideas.
Conservatism is appearing as a spent force in government. Austerity eroded public services without delivering economic growth, while Brexit damaged the economy without providing tangible sovereignty gains. Mr. Sunak was reluctantly installed as a leader to project managerial competence and pacify internal conflicts within his party. However, this remains his limit at the Manchester conference. While he has a constitutional right to govern, he should not confuse that with a license to indulge his party’s inclination for radical experimentation.
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