Several top Conservative MPs, including ex-PM Theresa May, ex-Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and Michael Gove, are exiting politics ahead of the election. Here’s the full story.
Bad Losers
The Conservatives are, infamously, exceptionally bad losers. The “Party of Government” for the UK has had a hard old time recently, and, with the election fast approaching and the polls not looking any better, 79 of them have decided that now is the time to jump ship.
Record Beating
This is four more than the previous record of 75, which happened last time the Conservatives were staring down the barrel of Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide.
High-Profile Tories
Here are just a few of the most high-profile Tories that have decided to leave as jobs in opposition creep ever closer to their seemingly critically wounded party.
Theresa May: It’s My Party, I’ll Cry if I Want To
Former Prime Minister Theresa May, who has represented Maidenhead since 1997, has announced her retirement from politics.
Tumultuous Tenure
May, who served as Prime Minister from 2016 to 2019, faced a tumultuous tenure primarily dominated by Brexit negotiations, which ended with her weeping as she handed over the keys to Number 10 to Boris Johnson.
Windrush Scandal
May might be best remembered for being the Home Secretary in charge of the “hostile environment policy” for migrants, which was widely condemned as cruel and racist and, ultimately, led to the Windrush scandal.
Michael Gove: Expert Brexit
Michael Gove, a prominent cabinet member under multiple prime ministers, is stepping down as MP for Surrey Heath.
“Enough of Experts”
Gove, who has served in various ministerial roles since his election in 2005, will primarily be remembered, and not always fondly, for being the architect of the Brexit campaign who infamously stated that “the people of this country have had enough of experts from organisations with acronyms saying they know what is best and getting it consistently wrong.”
But Not My Experts
In 2002, Gove set up the Policy Exchange, a right-wing think tank with murky funding sources, whose legions of experts have led it to be called “the largest, but also the most influential think tank on the right” by the Daily Telegraph.
Kwasi Kwarteng: Blink and You’ll Miss Him
Kwasi Kwarteng, best known for his brief stint as Chancellor under Liz Truss, during which he crashed the UK economy to an almost unfathomable degree, will not seek re-election for his Spelthorne seat.
Et Tu Brute?
His tenure was marked by the ill-fated mini-budget, which led to significant economic turmoil, and his subsequent betrayal by his long-standing but short-serving Prime Minister, Liz Truss.
Matt Hancock: I’m Health Secretary, Get Me Out of Here
Matt Hancock, who served as Health Secretary during the COVID-19 pandemic, is leaving as MP for West Suffolk.
Failure to Socially Distance
Hancock was widely blamed for his disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which ended abruptly when pictures of him breaking lockdown social distancing rules by having an extramarital affair with one of his aides became public.
£320,000
Following stepping down, he took part in the reality TV show “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” in 2022, a decision that led to his suspension from the Conservative Party. He ultimately finished third and was paid £320,000 for the privilege, according to the Guardian.
Dominic Raab: Bully For You
Dominic Raab, former Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, is stepping down following a tumultuous period marked by allegations of bullying.
Bullying Claims
Raab, who represented Esher and Walton since 2010, resigned from his ministerial roles after an investigation substantiated some of the bullying claims.
Nadhim Zahawi: Leaving Before the Taxman Comes
Nadhim Zahawi, the former Chancellor and Conservative Party Chairman, is stepping down amid lingering controversy over his tax affairs.
You What, Gov?
Zahawi, MP for Stratford-on-Avon since 2010, faced scrutiny and was dismissed from his party chairmanship after failing to disclose an investigation by HMRC over the sale of the polling company he set up, YouGov.
Whoopsie
Zahawi, who always claimed that his failure to pay his taxes was nothing more than a simple mistake and not a calculated plan to defraud HMRC, settled the case for £4.8 million.
Sir Graham Brady: Another One Bites the Dust
Sir Graham Brady, renowned for his role as the chair of the influential 1922 Committee, has decided to step down as MP for Altrincham and Sale West.
Electoral Ambiguity
Having served since 1997, Brady’s tenure was marked by overseeing the departures of three Tory prime ministers: David Cameron, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson, and not much else.
Writing on the Wall
The departures of these high-profile Conservatives, along with many others, suggest that, despite the best attempts of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s bungled general election campaign, many Conservatives can see the writing on the wall.
Separating the Chaff from the Chaff
However, it remains to be seen who will rise to the top of the few Conservatives who remain following what is widely expected to be a catastrophic election for them.
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