Opinion: Rishi Sunak's win could be his last hurrah.
The announcement of Sunak's government stepping down stirred mixed reactions among Westminster journalists. While some expressed concerns about the coming holidays, others retorted with witty remarks about the Tories' civil servants and ministers also taking their breaks. The irony of the date, July 4, added to the humor.
Outside the confines of Westminster, the news felt less like the start of a political drama and more like the end of a long-awaited change. With Sunak's administration seemingly on its last legs, many are eagerly awaiting forecasts on his legacy. Yet, the state of the country after 14 years of Tory rule is deemed more urgent than the shift in political power.
Talk to anyone outside the millionaire circles, and they'll likely agree that life in the UK has significantly deteriorated since 2010. Two aspects currently causing concern are the economy and healthcare.
First, let's discuss healthcare. The NHS reported that as of January 2024, one in every twenty people in England had to wait four weeks or more to see a general practitioner. Things become scarier in the emergency room, with about 95 times more people waiting more than 12 hours for admission than in 2019. The reason? The overwhelmed social care system means there's nowhere for patients to go.
Outside the emergency room, the situation is similarly alarming. The BMA states that more than 7.5 million people are on waiting lists for consultant-led elective care, and over 3.2 million have waited more than 18 weeks for treatment. The year 2023 saw doctors express frustration over insufficient resources to treat mental health patients due to a lack of properly trained staff and a disjointed system that impedes effective management. Also, two-thirds of maternity units fail to meet safety standards, as per a 2023 BBC analysis of Care Quality Commission records.
Though many people might consider seeking private treatment to bypass the crumbling NHS, unfortunately, most are financially incapable of doing so. Sunak, worth an estimated £651 million ($828 million) with his wife Akshata Murty, is a stark contrast.
The economic woes also continue. Despite paying taxes that were supposed to cover healthcare, many Britons might be tempted to turn to private healthcare due to deteriorating conditions. However, this option is out of reach for most of the population.
Post-2008, the British economy struggled to recover, with the average wage much lower than pre-crisis rates. The average UK salary, at £28,000 before tax, according to The Evening Standard, based on Office for National Statistics data, pales in comparison to the average property price of £299,000 ($380,200) and the average rent of £1,223 ($1,555) per month. Londoners often pay double these figures.
While the recession is not the sole factor, it undeniably left a mark. A recent report suggested the average Briton was nearly £2,000 ($2,540) worse off in 2023 due to Brexit, a Tory-led project. The same report found that the average Briton was nearly £3,400 ($4,323) worse off in London.
Lastly, the pandemic did not help matters. From April to June 2020, UK GDP plummeted by a record 19.4%, only to rebound by 17.6% during the summer. While it's unclear whether the Tories handled Covid-19 well, they are directly responsible for appointing Liz Truss as Prime Minister.
Truss's catastrophic stint in power, lasting just 45 days, wiped £30 billion off the UK economy and caused interest rates to skyrocket, per independent think tank Resolution Foundation.
For those who had to endure a winter of deciding between food and warmth, this was the ultimate disrespect from a government that seemed to disregard their well-being like it was normal.
It's not just about how the last 14 years led to the British having less resources and facing more hardships in various aspects of life. It's the lack of humility and accountability from the party in control that's been a constant.
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The pinnacle example of this became apparent with the disclosure that then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his fellow Conservative cabal celebrated private parties at Number 10 while the rest of the nation was under strict lockdown rules. To make matters worse, Johnson got caught misleading parliament regarding these festivities, causing more pain to the thousands of people who couldn't be with their beloved dying family members, witness the birth of their child, and felt very isolated for months.
So much could be said. School teachers are experiencing worsening conditions. Traveling to certain parts of the UK is more expensive than going on vacation in Europe. The government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, now seemingly defunct, has been criticized by human rights experts at home and abroad. Yet the central theme is the arrogance of a Conservative government that's held power for so long, they seem to forgot that they must earn it.
Starmer is not the same as Blair, and Labour isn't creating the same level of excitement as it did in 1997. However, Starmer and Labour have their upper hand in this election not due to their popularity, but because of the complacency of a Tory party that seems to be oblivious to the fact that after more than a decade and a half of their horrible governance, the British population is open to experimenting with new options.
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Despite the mixed reactions from Westminster journalists, many outside the political sphere share the opinion that Rishi Sunak's tenure has resulted in deteriorating conditions in healthcare and the economy. For instance, the NHS reports a significant increase in waiting times for GP appointments and admission to emergency rooms, and the average Briton is facing financial struggles due to low wages and high living costs. These issues have led to calls for change and urgency in addressing the state of the country after 14 years of Tory rule.
Source: edition.cnn.com
