Facing Multiple Challenges, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Turns to Populist Measures Ahead of Conservative Party Conference

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As UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak prepares to address the Conservative Party’s annual assembly this Sunday, he confronts a trifecta of difficulties: revitalizing a party lagging in public surveys, fending off potential successors, and convincing the electorate that a 13-year incumbent party merits continued governance.

To tackle these issues, Sunak is employing a range of populist strategies, such as delaying the transition away from fossil fuels, aiming to recapture the support of voters disillusioned by the UK’s stagnant economy, ongoing cost-of-living crisis, and intermittent labor strikes that have paralyzed various public services.

Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London, remarked, “Given the decline in public services and economic stagnation, along with unfulfilled promises, a sense of disillusionment within the party is to be expected.” Bale observed that the Conservatives appear to be doubling down on populist tactics as a way to rebrand themselves as champions of the average citizen against elite interests.

In recent actions, Sunak has greenlit new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, postponed the prohibition on new gasoline and diesel vehicles, and diluted several environmental regulations that he claims impose excessive burdens on the general public. On the conference’s eve, Sunak revealed plans to restrain so-called “anti-automobile policies,” such as universal 20 mph speed limits and residential area traffic limitations.

While environmental advocates have expressed disappointment with these actions, they are calculated to resonate with party delegates, functionaries, and legislators congregating in Manchester for a conference that concludes with Sunak’s keynote address on Wednesday. The Labour Party will host its own convention in nearby Liverpool the following week.

These autumn gatherings—mixture of motivational sessions, policy discussions, and social events—occupy a significant role in British political tradition. This year’s conferences may be pivotal, as they could be the final such events before the nation goes to the polls. Under the UK’s parliamentary rules, a new election must be announced within five years of the last, which took place in December 2019.

Since that election, the UK has navigated Brexit, weathered a global pandemic, and seen the departure of two Prime Ministers—Boris Johnson due to scandal and Liz Truss after a mere 49-day term. Sunak assumed leadership in October 2022, tasked with stabilizing an economy unsettled by Truss’s tax policies.

Bronwen Maddox, CEO of the international affairs think tank Chatham House, noted that these conferences serve as a mirror for political parties to both self-reflect and communicate with the broader voting populace. “Given the current climate of unease in the UK since Brexit, people are seeking both reassurance and hope, as well as reasons for skepticism,” she said.

Despite being in power for 13 years, the Conservatives trail Labour by 15 to 20 points in recent polls. Skepticism is mounting among almost all voter groups, including the northern English “red wall” districts that the party won in 2019 by touting the economic benefits of Brexit—benefits which have largely not come to fruition.

As the fifth Conservative leader since 2016, Sunak faces internal competition for party leadership, particularly if an election loss is imminent. Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch are vying for the loyalty of the party’s populist faction, advocating stringent immigration controls and opposition to so-called “woke” ideologies.

Paul Goodman, former legislator and editor of the Conservative Home website, stated that Sunak aims to paint Labour leader Keir Starmer as an unrelatable representative of the status quo. “If the narrative of the next election is framed as Labour versus Conservatives, Labour has the advantage. However, if Sunak can recast the contest as one between Starmer and transformative change, he may yet stand a chance,” Goodman opined. Still, he acknowledged that the odds remain challenging for Sunak’s electoral success.

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More about Rishi Sunak

• UK Conservative Party Annual Conference
• Rishi Sunak’s Political Profile
• UK Public Opinion Polls on Political Parties
• The State of the UK Economy
• Environmental Policies in the UK
• Brexit and its Economic Impact
• Labour Party and Keir Starmer
• Populism in UK Politics
• UK Election Rules and Timing
• Conservative Party Leadership Contest