For his first general policy speech of the year, the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, chose, on Wednesday January 4, to go to a room in the park of the London 2012 Olympic Games. No doubt to better affirm his determination to defend the colors of his country and put himself at the service of his fellow citizens.
“Today, I want to make a simple commitment: this government will always reflect the priorities of the people,” he promised entry. He has set out five objectives on which he asks to be ” judge “ by British voters: “Halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, reduce waiting times for treatment and stop boats (used by migrants from France, editor’s note). »
Unfavorable cards
The ambitions of Rishi Sunak, who took over as head of government on October 25, 2022 after the disastrous interlude of Liz Truss, certainly appear high but accessible. “Proposing goals that can be achieved is a shrewd policy”, says Anand Menon, professor of political science at King’s College London. The conservative leader, it is true, has little choice: his time is running out before the next general elections, which will be organized no later than January 24, 2025, where he will have to put forward concrete results.
However, Rishi Sunak has unfavorable cards in his game: since April 2022, inflation has been greater than or equal to 9%, the standard of living of most Britons is declining and a number of public services, including a health system in a state of apnea since the Covid-19 epidemic, are in the process of disintegration. The living and working conditions of the British have deteriorated so much that, since October, strike movements have riddled the daily life of the country, at a rate not seen since the beginning of the 1980s.
The polls are affected: the Conservative Party is between 17 and 26 points behind Labor, the main opposition force.
A popularity rating already at half mast
Will Rishi Sunak be able to save his people from a possible rout? “It rings false, notes political scientist Anand Menon. In his speeches, he emphasizes the wrong words. It’s as if he had been asked to appear enthusiastic, that he had trained without succeeding. »
His soft voice, his accent and his flow seem ill-suited to a proactive political discourse, intended to convince citizens of the vision and high ambitions of its author. Already, some in the local press do not hesitate to label him as “technocrat”an appreciation that could not be more dismissive on this side of the Channel.
If Rishi Sunak is better perceived than his party, his popularity rating has all the same already collapsed after only ten weeks of government, with 28% of favorable opinions. The situation, but also his choices, seems partly responsible for this absence of a state of grace. In November, the Downing Street tenant initially refused to go to COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, before changing his mind after learning that Boris Johnson would be going there.
Refusal to negotiate with the strikers
On the economic front, the Prime Minister and his finance minister, Jeremy Hunt, have been emphasizing, since mid-November, the reduction of the national debt via tax increases and the reduction of public expenditure from this year. To compensate, the government explained, the minimum hourly wage will increase from April at the same rate as inflation. Despite these announcements, the average income per household should still fall by 3.8% in 2023, after 3.3% in 2022.
If he says “understanding” faced with the financial difficulties encountered by the British, Rishi Sunak nevertheless refused to negotiate with the strikers, who were nevertheless widely supported by public opinion. This bet, confirmed Thursday, January 5, to restrict the right to strike and facilitate the dismissal of strikers (read below)could pay off… if the British end up losing patience with social movements.
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Strikes: the Prime Minister plays firm
According to the daily The Times, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is about to present a bill instituting a mandatory minimum service in the event of a strike.
Several sectors would be concerned: health, rail transport, education and border control.
If the unions did not comply with this new obligation, their strike would then become illegal and the striking employees could be fired.
This law project, mentioned in the press, has already been denounced by the unions, who consider it « inapplicable ».