U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had two tasks when he entered Downing Street: Stabilize the government after Liz Truss’s 49 chaotic days in office and make the Conservative Party competitive at the next general election. Tory strategists worry he’s now in danger of getting stuck between Job 1 and Job 2.
Sunak has successfully eaten into the opposition poll lead — Keir Starmer’s Labour Party was about 27 points ahead when Sunak took power in October, and now leads by about 15 points. But a real-life electoral test looms next week, with thousands of local council seats up for grabs in votes across England. And there are big challenges coming down the track.
Tory ministers, strategists and advisers fear that Sunak risks losing momentum, hitting a ceiling in the polls as policy problems and political dramas pile up. These include concerns that Sunak may find it harder than expected to meet five key pledges he made to voters at the start of 2023, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity when discussing their private views.