100 days in office: Sunak’s problems that can hardly be solved

As of: 02/02/2023 5:00 a.m

Rishi Sunak has been British Prime Minister for 100 days and problems are piling up in the country. Strikes, zero growth, scandals in the party – Sunak is faced with almost impossible tasks. This also jeopardizes his position.

By Christoph Prössl, ARD Studio London

Earlier this week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited a clinic in northern England. The NHS health service is missing billions, as well as staff, people are waiting many hours in the emergency rooms for treatment, and the nurses are on strike.

Sunak announced help, there should be more hospital beds, more staff, additional ambulances. He promised, “If we deliver that, we’ll see the quickest and greatest reduction in ER wait times.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a question and answer session on health policy at Teesside University in Darlington.

Image: AFP

Experts doubt that an improvement will set in quickly, the measures are actually just a drop in the bucket. But Sunak tried to score at least here. Any other problems the Prime Minister has after 100 days in office are even worse.

The investors pull out

Economy shrinks in 2023, UK could see zero growth for years. Investors are leaving the UK. The teachers are on strike, the railway staff are demanding more money.

In domestic politics, the conservatives cannot keep their most important promise on asylum policy. Anyone who comes to England illegally, for example in rubber boats, should be able to be sent back or taken to Rwanda. In the House of Commons, Sunak announced: “We have introduced legislation that will prevent people who have entered the country illegally from staying.”

But it is not that easy. In 2022, more people crossed the English Channel than ever before. The strategy of deporting refugees to Rwanda is not working. So far not a single flight has taken off.

A party full of scandals

And then there are the numerous scandals in the party. Sunak fired the party’s general secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, because he had not paid taxes and had to pay a fine of millions. The opposition accused Sunak of having known about it for a long time and having appointed Zahawi anyway.

An investigation is underway against Justice Minister Dominic Raab for allegedly insulting and bullying employees. Opposition leader Keir Starmer remarked in the House of Commons: “Will the Prime Minister now also say that he was the only one who didn’t know that there were serious allegations of bullying against Deputy Prime Minister Raab?”

Waiting for the tax return

And then there’s this: the voters are still waiting for Sunak’s tax return. At the beginning of his term in office, the prime minister promised transparency and honesty: “This government will act honestly and responsibly at every level.”

But that promise, made after Boris Johnson and Liz Truss resigned, could not be kept by Sunak. The party continues to suffer from “Long Boris” after the Partygate affair. The poll numbers are in the basement. 20 percent for the Conservative Party, historically that sucks.

Persistent whispers about Johnson

How long the party will continue to do this is unclear. There is always speculation that Johnson will come back. But he still has to answer to a committee of inquiry, the key question: did he lie to parliament?

UK regional elections will be held in early May. If results are bad for the Conservatives, the party could dump its leader and prime minister.

There will be general elections in late 2023 or early 2024. The Tories actually want to do well there. But that is currently rather hopeless.

British Prime Minister Sunak 100 days in office

Christoph Proessl, ARD London, February 2, 2023 5:00 a.m

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