Conservative Party's Worst Defeat in UK, Aftermath... Prime Minister Sunak "I Will Take Responsibility"

On the 4th (local time), the ruling Conservative Party, which suffered a crushing defeat in the UK early general election and will hand over power to the Labour Party after 14 years in office, appeared to be in shock as the "impossible" became reality. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak acknowledged the Conservative Party's defeat and said he would take responsibility for the loss. Amid ongoing discussions about the election defeat, the battle for the next party leadership position, the "post-Sunak" seat, is expected to intensify.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

According to AFP and other sources, on the 5th, Prime Minister Sunak said, "The Labour Party has won," and added, "I will call Keir Starmer (Labour Party leader) to congratulate him on his victory." He apologized, saying, "The British people have made a sober judgment tonight, and there is much to learn. I will take responsibility for the defeat." He continued, "Today, power will be transferred peacefully and orderly in the goodwill of all parties," adding, "It should give all of us confidence in the nation's stability and future."

Exit polls released immediately after the 10 p.m. voting deadline the previous night predicted that the Conservative Party would secure only 131 out of the total 650 seats in the House of Commons. This is the worst result in the party's 190-year history and less than one-third of the Labour Party's 410 seats. Although multiple early opinion polls had predicted the Conservative Party's defeat, the confirmation of such results even in the exit polls shocked the party, leading to calls for accountability. Particularly, Prime Minister Sunak, who took a surprise gamble by calling an early general election in May despite low approval ratings, faced heavy criticism.

Analysts suggest that British voters' dissatisfaction with Brexit, the pandemic, inflation caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, and a surge in illegal immigration led to a desire for a change in government. AFP reported, "The 14 years of Conservative rule marked by fiscal austerity, Brexit divisions, and scandals are coming to an end." The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) noted, "Voters want change," pointing out that "the UK economy has struggled since Brexit and has been further hit by the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war." Locally, a new term, ‘Bregret’ (Brexit + regret), has even emerged to describe regret over Brexit.

Additionally, scandals such as former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson's party scandal and former Prime Minister Liz Truss's financial policy failures contributed to the rise of calls for regime change. During the election campaign, a scandal broke out involving 15 Conservative Party members and officials betting on the date of the early general election. Furthermore, the Conservative Party's pledges, including tax cuts and tough immigration policies, failed to sway voters. CNN criticized Prime Minister Sunak's conduct during the campaign as inappropriate.

Amid an unprecedented election defeat, the ruling Conservative Party is engulfed in turmoil. Among the MPs who lost seats due to Sunak's surprise early election decision, criticism and division have surfaced. Robert Buckland, former Secretary of State for Justice who lost in the Swindon constituency, told BBC, "I am tired of performance art politics," directly targeting fellow politicians. Andrea Leadsom, former Deputy Secretary to the Treasury for Economic Affairs, told the BBC that the Conservative Party is "not conservative enough" and that voters are "tired of all this."

Prime Minister Sunak is expected to resign from his post and step down as Conservative Party leader later that afternoon. Consequently, the race for the next party leadership is expected to heat up. The UK daily The Telegraph reported, "After leading his party to a historic defeat, Sunak will face immense pressure to resign as Conservative Party leader," adding, "This will set the stage for a leadership battle within the party during the summer."