North East Conservatives defend Rishi Sunak after lightning leadership election
Written by Jack Wallace-Hunter on 1st November 2022
North East Conservative Party members have insisted that the appointment of Rishi Sunak as PM is constitutional despite calls for a general election.
The leadership contest lasted only a matter of days, as just one candidate, Mr Sunak, managed to achieve the 100 plus nominations needed to stand in the party’s election.
After frontrunner Penny Mordaunt dropped out of the contest, party members did not have the chance to vote on their next leader.
Conservative Party members have defended this, stating that the move was fully constitutional as Rishi Sunak commands the confidence of the Parliamentary Party.
A Sunderland Conservatives spokesperson said: “Members were given a vote just two months ago but this demonstrated the problem when MPs, by a clear margin, have greater confidence in a leader other than the one the members select.
“Liz Truss won the contest by the smallest margin since members got a vote and her authority among MPs was weakened as a result of only 50 of them supporting her initially.”
Former Prime Minister, Liz Truss, held office for only 50 days in office, with the fallout of the Mini-Budget largely accredited to damage her position as leader.
When asked about whether a general election should be called earlier than planned, the Sunderland Conservatives spokesperson said: “No, we have not completed this parliamentary term. We do not have a presidential system.
“Our constitution relies upon someone being able to command the confidence of the Commons and Rishi Sunak can do that. Labour did not offer a general election when Gordon Brown’s people forced Tony Blair’s resignation.”
They added: “We should respect our traditions, not the whims of the Labour Party.”
Calls for a general election were made by many opposition MPs, most notably from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
In a tweet, he said:
After 12 years of Tory failure, the British people deserve so much better than this revolving door of chaos.
We need a general election, now.
My full statement: pic.twitter.com/NAQz70eVke
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 20, 2022
When asked if he had faith in the PM and his mandate, Alexander Walker, 21, a student and Conservative Party member said: “The landscape has certainly shifted since the previous general election, but as Chief Secretary to the Treasury at that time and later Chancellor, Mr Sunak played a very major role in delivering the election manifesto in the first place.
“He is in many ways a better continuity candidate to that manifesto than many others.”
Do you think there should be a general election? Have your say @sparksunderland.
