Will PM's 'uncommonly rapid' political rise precede an equally fast fall?
Good evening,
Having made it to 100 days in office, Rishi Sunak can claim at least one victory over his predecessor Liz Truss, who bowed out after just 44 catastrophic days in power.
Yet with his approval ratings in the doldrums and his party reeling from a series of sleaze scandals, the current occupant of No. 10 may feel he has little else to celebrate.
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| PROFILE | | Celebrations may have been muted as Rishi Sunak spent his 100th day in office in the shadow of numerous dark clouds – and a few questions about his long-term future in No.10.
Although some might view it as a "meaningless milestone", these days it's "nothing to be sniffed at," said Politico's London Playbook, referencing the 44-day tenure of his predecessor Liz Truss.
But the mood in his party is not much improved. "There's a new default conversation for Tory MPs at any Westminster drinks party," said The Spectator's political editor, Katy Balls. "Is this 1992 or 1997? Is the party doomed or not?"
In 1992, John Major pulled off a surprise victory, despite having been 20 points behind in opinion polls, but five years later, "with the Tories mired in accusations of sleaze, Major lost by such a landslide that his party was out of power for three terms". |
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TODAY'S BIG QUESTION | | King Charles III will not replace Queen Elizabeth II on Australia's new $5 banknotes, the country's Reserve Bank has announced amid growing calls to cut ties with the British monarchy.
Charles III and the future of the UK monarchy: looking abroad for clues
The decision to instead adorn the banknote with a design that "honours the culture and history" of indigenous Australians ends a "century-long tradition", said The Sydney Morning Herald. The swap has also stoked speculation that Australia may opt to end its status as a constitutional monarchy.
In a 1999 referendum, Australians voted by 54.87% to 45.13% against becoming a republic. But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appears to be paving the way for a fresh vote. |
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GETTING TO GRIPS WITH . . . | | Ministers have been urged to review the practice of forcibly installing energy prepayment meters in homes as the energy crisis has left some vulnerable customers without heat or electricity through the winter.
More than three million people were left without heating or power last year because they ran out of credit on their meter and hundreds of thousands of homes were moved to prepayment this winter having fallen behind on paying their bills. |
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GLOBAL LENS | | No one could say that Ukraine was some kind of ideal state before Russia launched its invasion last year, said Reinhard Veser in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. On the contrary, it was seen as one of Europe's most corrupt countries, ruled by oligarchs and riddled with graft and corruption.
No surprise then that war with Russia seems to have thrown up glorious business opportunities for several politicians and civil servants. Yet the sheer scale of the graft scandal now engulfing the Ukrainian government is still pretty staggering, said Alisa Orlova in the Kyiv Post. |
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podcast | | Why are US presidents in trouble with the National Archives? Is art confiscated by the Nazis heading back to its rightful owners? |
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speed reads | | China has said it is looking into reports that one of its surveillance balloons has been spotted in US airspace.
Urging calm, the Chinese foreign ministry's spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing was committed to international law but did not immediately deny reports that the balloon belonged to China. |
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speed reads | | A man who arrived at Windsor Castle armed with a crossbow and told a protection officer "I am here to kill the Queen" has become the first person in the UK to be convicted of treason since 1981.
Jaswant Singh Chail, 21 and from Hampshire, pleaded guilty to three charges, including one under the Treason Act. He was arrested on Christmas Day 2021, when the late monarch was living at Windsor. |
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T H E W E E K M A G A Z I N E |
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TALKING POINT | | With an ageing population and a shortage of workers, the Government is keen that people delay their retirement. Yet it has just spurned a golden opportunity to help "thousands of older women" remain "at the top of their professional game for longer", said Gaby Hinsliff in The Guardian.
The cross-party Women and Equalities Committee had recommended making it illegal to disadvantage workers because of menopause symptoms – by making menopause a "protected characteristic" like age or race – and proposed trialling "menopause leave" for women who are badly affected. |
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PUZZLES AND QUIZZES | | Have you been paying attention to The Week's news? |
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PUZZLES AND QUIZZES | | Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section |
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INSTANT OPINION | | Your digest of analysis from the British and international press from the past seven days
"Until this morning, I believed that my log-burning stove, a solid and focal presence in my sitting room, was merely symbolic of my lifestyle," wrote Simon Kelner for i news. "Yes, it's an effective source of heat, but it's also a statement piece, with a nod to vintage and sustainability" as well as "my urban middle-class credentials" he said. "But now I look at this simple, classic, piece of hardware in a very different way: as an instrument of environmental degradation." This week, the government announced plans to step up its fight against wood burners as part of its new 25-year environmental plan. Households whose chimneys emit too much smoke could be hit with a £300 fine. Kelner admits that "when it comes to log-burners, the facts are pretty stark". While only 8% of households have wood-burning stoves, "they are the biggest source of fine particulate matter in the atmosphere". Although he will "regret saying farewell to it" and "the dog will miss staring at it as if it's his favourite TV programme", Kelner concludes that "sometimes we have to give in to a higher purpose". |
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| the wish list | | Featuring a house in Nottinghamshire built in 1709 and a former vicarage in Essex built in 1797 |
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DOWN TO BUSINESS | Friday afternoon markets | Most European markets fell today, as investors digested key central bank decisions and corporate earnings. Gold prices dropped to a three-week low today, as the dollar jumped against a basket of currencies, making gold a less attractive bet.
FTSE 100: 7,895.81, up 0.97%
Dax: 15,453.24, down 0.36%
Dow: 34,085.41, up 0.09%
Dollar: £1 = $1.2111, down 0.92%
Euro: £1 = €1.1145, down 0.48%
Brent crude: $82.63, up 0.56%
Gold: $1,870.60, down 2.38% | |
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quote of the day | "It's as though she has vanished into thin air. It's insane." | Paul Ansell, the partner of missing woman Nicola Bulley, says the mystery disappearance is impossible to comprehend. Police announced today they are working on assumption that the 45-year-old fell into the river while she was walking her dog | |
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