Tory MPs on election alert as Sunak ‘resets’ campaign strategy
Conservative MPs were put on alert for an autumn election as Rishi Sunak reset his campaign strategy to warn voters they would be less safe with Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that his new pitch to voters amounted to âbetter the devil you knowâ as he warned the world was facing âone of the most dangerous periods weâve ever knownâ, and that Labourâs refusal to match his commitment to spend 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2030 sent the wrong message.
It marks another change of course for the Prime Minister, who as recently as October argued he was the âchangeâ candidate, that Tory MPs said appeared to provide the âsoft framingâ for an election in October or November.
One Tory-ex minister suggested Sunak had âresetâ his strategy and was âdrawing a line under the local electionsâ, which were disastrous for the party.
But despite the highly political speech reigniting speculation of an early poll in summer, the ex-minister said the new strategy instead underlined suggestions the Prime Minister will go in autumn because it is too late to land a new message with voters within six to eight weeks.
The MP said âvery little changesâ in a short election campaign, adding: âAs Sir Lynton Crosby said you canât fatten a pig on market dayâ.
But one Tory councillor said Sunakâs speech came minutes after an invitation was sent out to parliamentary candidates and local activists to a campaign strategy meeting this week, sparking rumours of a June or July election among the grassroots.
They said all councillors, local Tory association chairs and parliamentary candidates had been invited to a âspecial election campaign briefingâ to take place this Thursday, with the invite sent out at the same time as the PMâs speech.
A senior source said the briefing, being run by Tory HQ, was focused on digital campaign and was designed to get candidates and the grassroots ready for an election âwhenever it isâ.
Sunak refused to rule out a July poll when answering questions after his speech at the Policy Exchange think-tank in Westminster, saying only that an election would come in the âsecond half of the yearâ.
But following the speech, several Tory MPs suggested it confirmed their suspicions Sunak was going for autumn.
One MP told i that the speech provided the âsoft framingâ of a narrative for a poll in âNovemberâ.
A second former minister said Sunak had âset out themes and dividing linesâ.
âI suspect this is very much a five or six-month campaign,â the MP added.
Downing Street meanwhile dismissed questions about whether Mr Sunak had ditched his five pledges to voters, after the speech failed to mention NHS waiting lists he said he would cut, insisting the Prime Minister had mentioned inflation, economic growth, debt and the small boats crisis, which inform four of the promises.
The Prime Ministerâs wide-ranging address warned of threats over the next five years from an âaxis of authoritarian powersâ including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, extremists seeking to sow division at home, fears about new technologies such as artificial intelligence and global forces imperilling peopleâs financial security.
He said: âPeople want to know that they have got someone in charge who understands these dangers, because only if you understand whatâs happening can you be trusted to keep us safe.â
Sunak added: âI believe that we will keep this country safe and Keir Starmerâs actions demonstrate that he wonât be able to do that.â
The Prime Minister also accused the opposition of attempting to âdepress their way to victoryâ with âtalk of doom loops and gaslighting and scaremongering about pensionsâ, arguing that only the Tories have an âoptimisticâ view of the future.
He said: âThey have just one thing: a calculation that they can make you feel so bad about your country, that you wonât have the energy to ask what they might do with the incredible power that they seek to yield.â
Sunak acknowledged that the public felt âanxious and uncertainâ, but denied that this was all due to â14 years of Conservative governmentâ.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer rejected Sunakâs attack, saying âI know first-hand the importance of national securityâ from his role as director of public prosecutions, and saying the speech was âhis seventh reset in 18 monthsâ.
âThat really shows you that the choice as we go into this election is now pretty clear: Itâs a choice between a changed Labour Party that puts the country first and party second, or continuing with this government, the chaos and division thatâs been going on for so long, caused so much hardship.â
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: âThis Conservative Government is out of touch and out of time and Rishi Sunak must do the right thing and give the people a general election.â