The Tories “have got to go”, according to a very angry guest on BBC Newsnight who criticised their last 13 years in power on Monday night.
The guest went on a rant after host Victoria Derbyshire asked what the audience thought of the speculation some Tory MPs are looking to oust Rishi Sunak.
It’s thought this could be a last-ditch effort for the Conservatives to improve their fortunes before the next general election, where they’re expected to face heavy losses.
Speaking from Monmouthshire, Wales, on Monday night, the audience member began: “If you think about what’s happened with the Westminster government over the last 13 years, and the number of changes of leadership there have been, and everything the panel has said today about austerity, and about low police numbers, and the fact that the health service is on its knees, the fact that the public transport system doesn’t work, and the fact that we’ve got local authorities declaring bankruptcy....
“Yeah, sure, let’s have another leadership election!”
There have already been five Tory leaders and prime ministers since 2010.
Liz Truss was ousted before she ever led the party into a general election, while Sunak – more than a year since he replaced Truss – is also yet to face the general public at the ballot box.
The audience member continued: “If you look at their track record, it’s not a leadership issue.
“It’s the whole party and they have got to go.”
The rest of the room broke out in applause at that.
This Newsnight guest was not alone in thinking politics is in a bit of state right now, either.
One person speculated that politicians are not “telling us the truth” about the country’s extensive national debt, and that “it’s going to be years until we feel better off”.
He added: “I don’t think they want to tell us the truth because they want to get elected, and anything that needs to be done is going to take more than five years – and they don’t look more than five years ahead.”
Sunak has repeatedly justified his more controversial moves – like scrapping parts of the HS2 railway – by claiming he is making the more difficult, “long-term decisions” and presenting himself as a candidate for change.
Someone else said in the crowd noted that, after 13 years of the Tories, “people are scrimping round to get money together,“referring to the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Another person also referred to the ongoing economic issues, and said: “Where are young people supposed to get their hope from?”
Sunak has repeatedly pointed to the falls in inflation his government has overseen, and the cut to National Insurance – even though fiscal drag means people will end up paying more tax over time.