This time last week I thought the Tories were in with a chance of winning the next election. In theory, it is not until 2024 and if they moved quickly to replace Liz Truss with a Rishi Sunak-Penny Mordaunt ticket and restore economic stability and certainty, they could pull it off.
But a week is a long time in politics, at least where the Conservatives and Liz Truss are concerned. Since then, we’ve had resignations and would-be resignations of Cabinet ministers, key policy U-turns, a revolt of backbench MPs, among them some of the biggest names in the party, and of course, the departure of Ms Truss herself.
It’s been a whirlwind seven days of utter chaos which has only served to highlight again the deep fractures in the ruling party. Now, as I write this, they are scrambling around to find a “unity” candidate to replace Truss.
But they’ve been searching for this mythical figure for a while – ever since Truss became leader, doubts soon set in and it became apparent a successor might have to be lined up. Their quest goes back further, however, to the leadership election. Then, nobody emerged, and the party and country were forced to endure a marathon, head-to-head between Truss and Sunak.
The vote was tight, showing how much the Tories were split. Arguably the schism has been there all along, between Remainers and Brexiteers, left and right. John Major, Theresa May, David Cameron, they certainly experienced it. Boris Johnson was able to brush it aside, such was the force of his personality.
Sunak could try again, but he did not win in the summer and he remains a Marmite character – unlikely to be forgiven by Mr Johnson’s supporters for, as they saw it, plunging the dagger into his premiership by resigning. Yes, he carries bags of credit as the “I told you so” candidate, for rightly predicting Ms Truss’s tax cuts would be disastrous.
Mordaunt might be that single saviour, but after the week we’ve just had, it’s hard to imagine the party is ready to accept another leader who is untried, untested at senior level – someone too who was voted down in the earlier stages of the recent contest.
It’s been a whirlwind seven days of utter chaos which has only served to highlight again the deep fractures in the ruling party.
In some snap polling of the party faithful and the very people who get to choose, Sunak is ranking third behind Mordaunt. Top for them is Johnson.
Johnson allowed his name to be circulated as a contender on Thursday and in the hours ahead the pressure for him to do so will only grow. Cometh the hour, and all that.
For Johnson, of course, a return would be vindication - he has spent these past months bitter and furious at being made to stand down - and it would mirror his great hero, Sir Winston Churchill, who also made a comeback.
There is, though, a crucial difference between Churchill’s first going and Johnson’s. The war leader was voted out by the country. Cruelly, possibly, but the conflict was over and Britain was craving change. Churchill as well was not beset by scandal.
Johnson went after dozens of his ministers quit, leaving him isolated. They did so after a slew of negativity concerning Johnson’s personal integrity. If he was to re-enter No 10, he would so while a Parliamentary committee is examining whether he misled the Commons as prime minister, an offence for which if found guilty, he would be expected to resign.
The candidates vying to replace Liz Truss - in pictures
But this is Johnson and he has previously ridden out damning verdicts that would finish others. His supporters in the press and Parliament would do their level best - they’ve begun – to belittle the committee and question its legality.
So, if Johnson rides back, what then? Doubtless we would be treated to the sorrowful Boris, the one who promises to reform his ways. Would it be enough, would he really alter? Whoever wins, for a start, must reach out to the EU and patch up differences – even many Brexiteers recognise there needs to be moves towards rapprochement, for the good of the economy. Is Johnson capable of that?
What the party would like is a re-run of the Johnson-Sunak show, but it’s doubtful either man would accept that - too much animosity has flowed between them.
What’s missing from all this is the view of the nation. What we’ve been treated to so far is internecine warfare within a narrow constituency – the Tories’ 357 MPs and 150,000 members.
The Tories may decide that after everything that has occurred, they’ve got nothing to lose, Johnson is the one person who can weld them together. In theory, there are still two years to go, although the demands for an early general election will intensify. They know, too, that despite his lead in the polls, the electorate has never warmed to Sir Keir Starmer.
Johnson couldn’t, could he? Weirdly, across the Atlantic, the Americans are asking the same of a former President. Johnson and Trump. They could, you know. They really could.
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UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
SCHEDULE
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap Dh210,000 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm:Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
Amith's predicted winners:
6.30pm: Down On Da Bayou
7.05pm: Etisalat
7.40pm: Mulfit
8.15pm: Pennsylvania Dutch
8.50pm: Mudallel
9.25pm: Midnight Sands
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
SEMI-FINAL
Monterrey 1
Funes Mori (14)
Liverpool 2
Keita (11), Firmino (90 1)
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Qalandars 109-3 (10ovs)
Salt 30, Malan 24, Trego 23, Jayasuriya 2-14
Bangla Tigers (9.4ovs)
Fletcher 52, Rossouw 31
Bangla Tigers win by six wickets
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Samaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
