Hobouse calls for an election as Tories ‘are unfit to govern’

Bath MP Wera Hobhouse is outraged that Rishi Sunak has been appointed Prime Minister without a general election or a mandate from the people.

The Liberal Democrat, inset, berated the Conservatives for “ignoring the British people” saying that the third prime minister in 48 days was “imposed upon the public”.

Mr Sunak, inset right, became Conservative party leader on Monday and Prime Minister on Tuesday after both Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt pulled out of the race and he therefore won the Tory party leadership contest unchallenged.

According to Ms Hobhouse, the less-than-aweek long leadership contest involved almost no public scrutiny of policy. “They are no longer fit to govern,” she said. “What the country needs is a change of Government, not just another new face slapped onto the tired and broken Tory party. “That can only be achieved at the ballot box. We need a general election now.

“The lack of scrutiny and accountability that Mr Sunak has faced over his record equates to a stitch up on the British public,” said the MP.

“He has no mandate to lead a government and the party he is now at the head of has proven incapable of delivering for the needs of the people.”

According to Ms Hobhouse, there are elements of Mr Sunak’s record as chancellor that can be heavily criticised.

She is particularly annoyed that Mr Sunak has refused to impose a “proper” windfall tax on oil and gas companies which led to families having to pay for the rising cost of energy instead. According to the MP, Mr Sunak has proven to be the most wasteful chancellor in history, writing off almost £4 billion of taxpayers’ money to Covid fraud. “Their priorities no longer lie with the national interest but with individuals’ personal ambitions,” she said.