Looks like British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is having a tough time keeping his squad together, with a whole bunch of lawmakers waving goodbye. The numbers are even higher than when the Conservative Party took a big L back in '97. Sunak, who's been at the helm since 2022, just hit the panic button and called for a national showdown on July 4th. But dang, his crew's lagging behind big time in the polls. Inflation's high, the economy's sluggish, and there's been more drama in politics than a reality TV show.
So, here's the scoop: a whopping 78 Conservative MPs have decided to sit out the next election. That's more than the 72 who bailed before the '97 showdown. Even Michael Gove, a big name in the Conservative camp and a major player in the whole Brexit scene, announced he's calling it quits. Andrea Leadsom, who tried her luck for the top spot back in 2016 but got passed over by Theresa May, is also hitting the road.
Why the mass exodus, you ask? Well, seems like folks are feeling pretty pessimistic about their chances in the election. Plus, the drama and division in parliament have got everyone feeling exhausted.
But hold onto your hats, 'cause here's the kicker: all the polls are saying Sunak's gonna take a major L in the election, with Labour party leading by a cool 20 percentage points. Talk about a rough ride!
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Back in the day, only 12 Conservative MPs called it quits before the 2017 election. Then in 2019, it was 32. But this time? We're talking 78! That's a whole lot of folks saying "adios."
But hey, according to Defence Minister Grant Shapps, this ain't nothing out of the ordinary. He's saying it's pretty normal for MPs to jump ship around election time. Makes sense, right? More MPs on the governing side means more folks stepping down when things get rocky.
And check this out: some big names are saying "peace out" too, like Greg Clark and John Redwood. Even former PM Theresa May's on the list! Looks like Sunak's ship is springing some serious leaks.
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