Is this the worst start to an election campaign ever? More and more Britons are asking themselves that question. Because ever since May 22 when Rishi Sunak announced the election in a rainy London, setbacks have followed each other.
No plans to Rwanda
The first came the day after the dung-soaked appearance outside 10 Downing Street. Then Sunak signaled that no planes with asylum seekers to Rwanda will take off before the election.
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The so-called Rwanda plan is an important step in Rishi Sunak’s promise to stop the small boats with migrants crossing the English Channel. The new announcement may mean that the plan will never be implemented.
Keir Starmer, the leader of the largest opposition party Labour, has promised to scrap the Rwanda plan if he wins the election. The Labor Party has a big lead in opinion polls and has done so for a long time. There are many indications that Keir Starmer will be the next Prime Minister of Great Britain.
The Tory Party is losing members
The campaign has also been marred by several heavy defections. So far, almost 80 members of parliament in the Tory Party have announced that they will not stand for re-election. One of those leaving is the veteran Michael Gove, who has spent over 20 years in politics.
There are various individual reasons behind the mass dropouts. But several MEPs have said they want to avoid a humiliating election loss and have no desire to spend the coming years in opposition.