Conservative Party Judgment After 14 Years... UK Prime Minister Sunak Resigns "It's My Fault"

Rishi Sunak Announces Resignation in National Address

Rishi Sunak, the leader of the ruling Conservative Party who suffered a crushing defeat in the UK general election, announced his resignation on the 5th (local time).

On the same day, Sunak held a public address in front of 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister's residence in London, stating, "I will soon meet the monarch to tender my resignation." After the announcement, he headed straight to Buckingham Palace to meet King Charles III. This comes about 1 year and 8 months after he took office on October 25, 2022, succeeding Prime Minister Liz Truss.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In his resignation announcement, he said, "I am sorry. I put everything into this, but the people have sent a clear signal that the UK government must change," adding, "I have heard your anger and disappointment, and this defeat is my responsibility."

He continued, "I will also resign as leader of the Conservative Party," adding, "Not immediately, but as soon as the official process for selecting a successor begins, I will do so promptly."

According to the results of the early general election held the previous day, out of 648 seats decided from a total of 650, his party secured only 121 seats. This is the worst performance in the Conservative Party's 190-year history. In contrast, the Labour Party secured 412 seats in a landslide victory.

Regarding Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader who is expected to become the next prime minister, Sunak described him as "a person with excellent public spirit, whom I respect."

He had surprised the public by announcing the early general election on May 22, attempting to recover from low approval ratings, but ultimately this strategy failed to produce significant results.

Sunak graduated from Oxford University and Stanford University Graduate School in the United States and has experience working in the financial sector. After Prime Minister Truss fell from power amid tax cut policy controversies after just 49 days, he took office in October 2022 as the first prime minister of Indian descent, the first Hindu, and the youngest prime minister in 210 years.

However, he was unable to resolve pressing issues such as fiscal pressure, high tax burdens, and crises in the public sector including healthcare, nor could he heal divisions within the party. The Rwanda refugee relocation policy, promoted as a flagship policy, sparked controversies over human rights violations and conflicts with international law.

In this election, Sunak himself narrowly held onto the Richmond Park and North Yorkshire constituency in northern England, but many senior Conservative figures, including former and current ministers, were defeated. The Conservative Party, which also led Brexit, is expected to suffer severe aftereffects from the regime change that occurred for the first time in 14 years.