THE GUARDIAN: Former ministers, veterans and newcomers to quit Commons after years of exhausting political chaos
Senior ministers are expecting a “total clearout” of Tory MPs ahead of the next election, as party sources cited the experience of Boris Johnson’s premiership, the increasing stresses of the job and a continuing slump in the polls as reasons for a forthcoming bumper crop of departures.
More than 40 Conservative MPs have already announced they will step down at the next election – the most for a ruling party since the exodus of 100 Labour MPs ahead of the 2010 election in the wake of the expenses scandal and 13 years in government.
A senior party source said they were expecting “lots more” of the 352 Tory MPs to announce they were leaving as the election approaches. Insiders said the political chaos of recent years had meant many had stayed in parliament much longer than they had intended. “There are loads more to come, there will be a total clearout,” said a senior party figure. “There are some who expected to go before now but held on because 2017 was a snap election and 2019 was exciting. This is the moment many will go.” » | Michael Savage, Policy editor | Saturday, July 1, 2023
At first, the Europe question split the Conservative Party. So, to try and heal the rift, Cameron called for an advisory referendum on Europe. The Brexit referendum projected onto the country the rift that the Conservative Party itself had been suffering, thus splitting the country and turning region against region, friend against friend, and even slplitting families. The country hasn't, and will not heal. The country is divided – as divided as the Conservative Party was, is, and will remain. Without wishing to sound overly religious, what does it say about such divisions in the Bible? It says the following... “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. …” [Jesus] – Matthew 12: 26 (NKJV). Source: Bible Gateway.
Truly, this country needs a business-friendly political party, but the Conservatives are from another age, a bygone age. This country needs a forward-looking, Europe-friendly, business-friendly party to replace the Conservatives. As I have stated so many times before... The Tories need to go the way of the Whigs before them: into oblivion. – © Mark Alexander
