Yes, the rumours are true! Recess beckons again. But who goes into conference season on a high, and who has work to do to climb up the ranks? Read the latest Who's Top Who's Not to find out...
Flying high: Keir Starmer
What else is a guy supposed to do when he’s back at work for little more than two weeks, the weather has taken a turn for the worse and the country is literally crumbling around him? Pop over to sunny Paris for a coffee with the President, of course!
Starmer lands the top spot for the second week running for his diplomatic schmoozing of leaders far and wide. Helpfully aided by events back at home, Starmer oozed calm and confidence whilst the man he is aiming to replace had a less-than-ideal week.
These meetings were more than simply swapping gifts, however, but rather an opportunity for Starmer to project an image of himself as a competent future leader. Indeed, Macron was reported as saying that Starmer had the “moral authority” to be prime minister.
Whilst Brexit appeared to be off the table, the general discussion over major issues signalled a clear shift in Starmer’s growing confidence to talk about international affairs. This had previously been hampered by his party’s position on Brexit, which has since softened to the extent that he has ruled out seeking membership of the EU single market if he wins next year’s general election.
The international whistle-stop tour may be over, but the work to win over the hearts and minds of the UK electorate has only just begun.
Middle of the road: Jeremy Hunt
The Chancellor got a welcome boost this week after news broke that inflation has dropped to 6.7%. This news was better than many economists had predicted, including the Governor of the Bank of England, leading Hunt to say that the government’s plan was working.
The subsequent decision for the Bank of England to hold the interest rate at 5.25% after multiple rises will create much-needed stability for millions of people in the country. The government can also breathe a sigh of relief as it remains on course to hit its target of halving inflation by the end of the year.
To quote the man himself, “now is the time to see the job through” and with less than two months to go until the Autumn Statement, Hunt now faces the challenge of continuing on this trajectory whilst resisting calls from senior Tories (you all know who I’m talking about) to cut taxes.
Slowly sinking: Rishi Sunak
Is it really WTWN if the PM doesn’t find himself at the bottom of the pile every once in a while?
On Tuesday, Sunak unusually took to X to respond to BBC leaks that he is preparing to dilute the government’s net zero plans. The following day, Sunak prematurely confirmed the rumours were true, announcing a delay on the ban of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and the phasing out of gas boilers. He also proclaimed that Britain is “proud to be a world leader in reaching Net Zero by 2050”. Many think otherwise.
From the car industry to different wings of the Conservative Party, the response to the leak was generally poor. Net zero champion Chris Skidmore called the move “potentially the greatest mistake of Sunak’s premiership so far” whilst Tory Peer Zac Goldsmith called it “a moment of shame”.
Aiming to create another clear dividing line with the Labour Party, Sunak’s change of tack seems desperate and the timing even more bizarre. He has just one year left to make his case, and even then, there is no guarantee that he will be around to oversee the policy’s implementation.
His hope is that this policy change will appeal to the Tory base, especially so-called ‘hero voters’ in red wall seats. But it is also about framing himself as a different type of PM – both to his Tory predecessors and to Keir Starmer - who is prepared to take unpopular decisions. Running as an insurgent after 13 years of government is certainly tricky, especially if he will also be saying ‘we’ve made progress on my 5 promises; now let me finish the job’. We shall have to wait and see if he can pull off this very tricky political framing.