Different leaders, same policies. Even though profile seems moderatearrival of Rishi Sunak Downing Street has not changed its report card one bit. route set by Boris Johnson in the 2019 election campaign, where ‘stories’ received the majority of votes, and made stopping the arrival of irregular immigrants to the country one of its top priorities. great Britain. A proposal that has shown change Conservative party to radical right and this left the most moderate training sector, represented at that time by the former prime minister David Cameronin the hidden second row.

Approval of the controversial Illegal Immigration Act in Parliament, which regulates immigration detention and deportation in a disorderly situation, has become a clear example of the tough measures taken by Sunak and the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, was willing to apply despite resistance from human rights and justice organizations. The law has attracted criticism even within the Conservative Party, including former prime ministers Theresa MayWHO strongly criticized the new rules in the House of Commons shortly before its approval, assuring that “this will enable human traffickers to make more money at the expense of human misery“.

Incendiary proclamation

However, warnings from several Tory MPs did not stop the action toughest sector training, which has taken control of the Government with a series of inflammatory statement aims to restore the voters who gave Johnson an absolute majority in 2019. And leading them is Sunakwho despite having less populist stances and a more restrained and sober character than his predecessors, is one of first deputy conservative in support Brexitwhich helps him add weight in formation.

“Sunak may give the impression of being a moderate technocrat, but in reality he is one social and fiscal conservative“, he explained to EL PERIÓDICO Tim Baleprofessor at Queen Mary University of London and author ‘Conservative Party After Brexit’ (Conservative Party after Brexit). “He knows that his fiscal conservatism won’t appeal much to many voters who switched to the Conservatives in 2019, but he firmly believes that talk about evilfrom immigration and its rejection of low-emission zones. There is also one snowball effect: Once a party begins its journey towards radical right-wing populism, it is difficult to stop it.”

“red wall”

One of Sunak’s big goals is retention “red wall” voters.the central and northern regions of the country, which are predominantly inhabited by the working class and traditional workforce but socially conservative. The voters the prime minister wants to attract strong speech against immigration, despite the fact that this means a possible loss of votes among Conservative Party supporters closest to the center liberal group. “It is a risk [Sunak] willing to assume: ‘story’ has huge majority in southern constituenciesricher and in many cases more liberal and opposed to Brexit, so capable of losing more voters there compared to more marginalized groups in the north, who are less affluent and culturally conservative, who voted in favor of Brexit,” Bale said.

Conservative Party factions such as Blue Collar Conservativeconsisting of deputies from the central and northern constituencies of England and strong hand defender opposition to immigration, has increased in recent years. Among its most prominent members are Lee Andersonone of the vice presidents of the formation, who a few days ago assured that asylum seekers who refused to settle on the barge ‘Bibby Stockholm’, known as “floating prison“ to welcome immigrants, they can”go to hell and return to France“.

Climate policy

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Beyond immigration policy, Sunak has proven to have a less powerful position than expected fight against climate change. Giving more than one hundred new licenses for gas extraction and oil in the North Sea has woken up critic several of his party colleagues, including those who served as Minister of Environment and Energy until last June, Zac Goldsmithand group representatives Conservative Environmental Networkconsisting of over 150 ‘Tory’ deputies.

The Prime Minister confirmed that the goal was achieved emissions neutrality by 2050 This can still be achieved thanks to investment in carbon capture plants, but a growing number of voices, both inside and outside the formation, think otherwise and fear that radical position The government in this case scares the most moderate voters.