Sunak’s concession speech wtf?

[tamade]

“Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner”

Was their ever any doubt? Why say it? Was it a dig at Gordon Brown?

I just find it jarring.

I couldn't wait to get the Tories out. But you must have had to get a microscope out to find something to fault in that speech @tamade .

Sunak took the wind out of my sails a bit when he spoke. I wanted to despise the lot of them to the end. But he was pitch perfect with that speech Grown up, gracious and respectful.

Actually I was moved and impressed by a lot of the Tories’ concession speeches, not just Sunak’s. It was really refreshing to see so many take a dignified annd gracious approach and to hear them wishing their successor’s well. Liz Truss’s initial refusal to get out of the car park and then refuse to give a speech at all shows what a truly terrible person she is. Just appalling she was ever PM.

@santaclara I agree & thought the same. On reflection I think the OP is referring to a comment from earlier in the night, perhaps in Richmond, rather than his Downing Street departure speech which was as statesman like as I’ve ever seen him & a high note to end on.

This is also where accusations of blanket ‘Tory bashing’ by the liberal left fall down as more than happy to give credit where it’s due (Sunak’s departure) but disparage when conduct falls short (Truss)

@saraclara it just jumps out at me every time I hear it. But that’s me

In fairness it looked like her eyes were filling with tears when she finally left so I am not sure it was arrogance in this instance. I am horrified at what she did to the economy and the country but i do think she looked like someone who had broken yesterday

I’ve just had a look at all the photos and footage of Truss at the vote count and unless I’m missing something I can’t see any sign of her eyes filling with tears. And quite frankly even if she’s sobbing she should be able to thank her supporters and wish her successor well even if she can’t bring herself to apologise.

I think you're 100% wrong.

I can't stand the Tories, but Sunak's dignity in defeat has been admirable and in great contrast to Johnson (as well as Trump, obviously).

Oh goodness yes, the time it took Johnson to accept defeat from within the fridge No 10 was excruciating! Sunak was much more dignified.

I took it as a nod to living in a democracy.

You are being ridiculous, and my couple of glasses of wine at this late hour allow me to articulate this. Sunaks resignation speech was dignified, respectful, and incredibly supportive of Starma's new role. Essentially he was saying - you've said its time for change, we hear you, lets get behind the new PM. Sunak was a far better PM than these results suggest - unfortunately he was better than the sh*t show of a party that he was leading. I would have voted for Rishi if I could, I coiuldn't bring myself to vote Conservative.

Why would you have wanted to vote for him? And why was he a far better PM than the results suggest?

I was pretty disgusted that he tried many times to portray himself as a reasonable and honest leader when he supported some very divisive party policies or he’d openly laugh in media interviews when he was asked what we was doing to improve public sector pay.

And I’m not forgetting him breaking the Covid lockdown rules whilst he was chancellor either, or his wife benefiting from the non-dom tax rules he had kept in place (before changing them when he was called out for this).

Yes, he gave a good leaving speech, but that’s where my admiration ends for him.

Clearly. You want to see something bad. That's on you.

@Acapulco12 The only time he broke lockdown rules was when he turned up at no 10 for a meeting and there was Boris’s birthday taking place in the meeting venue. To his credit he took the fine on the chin.

Akshata’s non dom status was completely legal; she was paying all taxes globally for which she was liable. The benefits of non dom status to most people who had it was not financially significant (speaking as someone who had it and gave it up as it had such a meaningless financial advantage).

I think history will judge Sunak far more kindly than Johnson, May or Truss that’s for sure.

Low bar for the men

Leave off May, who dared to tell the truth about social care and was punished for it by MN types eyeing up their parents' houses.

@Teddleshon I don’t agree that history will judge him kindly at all.

To give some context, he’s been a very poor-quality prime minister. For example, has he achieved any of the 5 pledges he made early last year? No. History will judge him harshly for that.

Also, he consistently chose to communicate divisive and negative messages, both via his pledges and via other members of his cabinet - e.g. via ministers like Suella Braverman. That is hiding behind other members of your cabinet, which is poor governance, poor leadership and it shows a real lack of integrity.

And in response to the points in your post: I don’t think he should be given any credit for his part in breaking lockdown rules. The attached photo clearly shows him spending time celebrating at the PM’s party. I think it’s right that he got a fine for that.

And in terms of Sunak’s wife having non-dom status, I agree that this was perfectly legal, but he should have declared this in the ministerial register of interests (he didn’t) - amp.theguardian.com/politics/2020/nov/27/huge-wealth-of-sunaks-family-not-declared-in-ministerial-register

I wasn’t giving him any credit for breaking lockdown laws, what a bizarre concept. I was simply pointing that his fine related to turning up for a meeting in the cabinet room and walking in to find a birthday celebration in progress as your photo shows.

I suggested that history would treat him more kindly than Johnson, May or Truss not kindly in absolute terms. And of course he did meet his inflation pledge and waiting lists are down from their peak.

Apologies for suggesting you were giving him credit for breaking lockdown rules - that’s not what I meant to say.

I meant to say I don’t think it’s fair or reasonable to give him credit for accepting to pay the fine as he did - he shouldn’t have been in a position to need to pay the fine (ie he shouldn’t have broken the rules in the first place).

Yes, he did break the rules. If he was so keen not to break the rules, he shouldn’t have hung around at Johnson’s birthday party like he is in the attached photo.

And apologies for misunderstanding your point about how history will judge him. Yes, I agree thar history will judge him more kindly than Truss or Johnson, but that’s because they were such abjectly terrible leaders. He wasn’t much better.

I’m not sure he can confidently say he met his inflation pledge. And the point about NHS waiting lists being down from their peak is difficult to prove - where do you measure the peak from? He’s been a very poor PM.

I thought more generally that if the Tories had shown a fraction of the grace and humility while governing that a bunch of them did in losing the election they might have left their party and the country in a much better state.