Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: Israeli commando forces conduct airdrops in two locations in the Damascus countryside.
Israeli media platform: Israeli army forces carry out a commando operation in the al-Kiswah area of the Damascus countryside.
Syrian media outlets: Israeli helicopters flying at low altitude over Tal Mani in the Damascus countryside.
Israeli media platform: Israeli aircraft bomb Syrian bases simultaneously with tanks entering the southern outskirts of Damascus.
Israeli media: Israeli forces infiltrated the town of Beit Jann south of Damascus, and a new airstrike hit al-Kiswah.
Syrian media: Four Israeli helicopters have touched down in the southern city of Sweida.
UN Security Council member states, excluding the United States, confirm that there is a famine in Gaza.
Syrian media: The Israeli occupation forces launch a series of airstrikes in the western Damascus countryside.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: 51 people martyred in Israeli aggression on Gaza since Wednesday morning.
Saree: Yemen will not abandon its stance in support of Gaza no matter the challenges and repercussions until the blockade imposed on the territory is lifted and the aggression it is facing is halted.

Tories seem to prefer Johnson over both Truss and Sunak

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Guardian
  • 15 Aug 2022 10:50
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Many conservatives holding a vote in the decision for party leader and the next PM of the UK seem to be ambiguous about their preference for either contender running for the position.

  • x
  • Liz Truss at the Cheltenham hustings
    Liz Truss at the Cheltenham hustings 

During the latest leadership hustings at the Cheltenham racecourse, few among the present electorate appeared pleased by either of the two runners seeking to become the next UK PM.

According to the Observer's report, neither foreign secretary Liz Truss nor ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak, appeared to be heavily backed. Some of those who went, and who would decide the future prime minister's identity, claimed they attended the hustings out of duty, and that they hoped to select the worse alternative to avoid the worst.

One attendant who preferred to remain anonymous said, prior to the beginning of the proceedings, that he preferred “Neither of the above,” adding that “I’m afraid we just don’t get the quality of people coming into politics these days.”

If any of the numerous party members questioned by the Observer had pre-hustings preferences, at best, they were hesitant and susceptible to change. People were there to learn and hear more, not to have their views reaffirmed.

Following the proceedings, many opinions changed. Some that were hesitant about their decision had made up their mind regarding one contender or the other. Similarly, some that had their minds set on one of the contenders had a change of heart and had shifted allegiances, while others had just hardened their attitudes in the direction they were already going.

Unlike what was publicly being discussed, the Observer interviews ahead of and post-hustings showed that the conservative decision was not unanimous nor even shifting towards one candidate more than another.

Related News

UK Tories elect Badenoch as new leader

Sunak government freed over 10,000 prisoners 70 days early

However, according to Tory membership polls this weekend, with less than three weeks till the election, Truss is far ahead of Sunak.

Read more: UK likely heading towards a year-long recession

Conducted for the Observer, Sunday's Opinium poll of 570 Conservative members gave Truss a 22-point edge. Sunak landed 39% of preferred votes, while Truss had 61%. Although it did not seem that way on Thursday night, around 47% believe they know who they will vote for. This might be due to the fact that individuals who attend formal hustings are, by definition, persons who are still susceptible to being persuaded. 

The lack of eagerness for either Truss or Sunak among those who must pick the next leader of the party and nation after September 5 is possibly the most fascinating aspect of the Observer’s new survey. This lack of eagerness is clear when individuals with a vote in the election are given the option of voting for Truss or Sunak, rather than the notional option of Johnson remaining leader and prime minister.

When asked whether they would prefer PM Boris Johnson or Truss in No 10, 63% of Conservative members said they would prefer Johnson, while just 22% preferred Truss. When given the choice between Johnson staying on and Sunak taking over, 68% choose Johnson and only 19% choose Sunak.

According to Chris Curtis of Opinium, sellers' remorse is coming in for Johnson as he argued that “It may be that people have forgotten how terrible things became, or that there is a lack of demand for the alternatives.”

But it's hardly encouraging for the potential winner to know that triple the number of their own party's voters preferred outgoing PM Johnson to battle for a fifth consecutive Tory victory in the next general election. Inside the Cheltenham hustings, there was equal support for Truss and Sunak. But there was a lot of ambiguity, and many people were disappointed.

Read more: Liz Truss wanted to know how to get into Vogue in the climate summit

  • Rishi Sunak
  • Liz Truss
  • Tories
  • Hustings
  • UK
  • Boris Johnson

Most Read

Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks (Photo by Mahdi Rtail)

Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks

  • Politics
  • 26 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Pope Leo XIV delivers the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Pope Leo demands Gaza ceasefire, prisoner exchange deal

Palestinians pray over the bodies of people who were killed in an Israeli military strike, during their funeral outside Shifa Hospital, in Gaza City, Friday, August 22, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'Israel’s' 'double-tap' strike on Gaza hospital must be probed: UN

Vice President Mike Pence speaks at the the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) 2020 Conference, Monday, March 2, 2020 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Politics

Ex-AIPAC-funded lawmakers back bill to halt US weapons to 'Israel'

A boat sails at sea near Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, June 18, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Denmark calls in US envoy over covert Trump-linked Greenland influence

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS