Sunak must learn to control the narrative Blair-style

Gob-smacked would never have formed part of Margaret Thatcher’s vocabulary. But she did occasionally express astonishment at the ingenuity with which some of her colleagues would land her in trouble. Rishi Sunak must often feel the same.

Chris Skidmore was a respectable junior minister and is apparently a competent popular historian. But he has now decided to put in for this year’s Nadine Dorries prize, awarded for shallowness, selfishness and narcissism.

The poor chap does appear to have a weakness. He has joined the cult of Greta Thunberg. Whereas the recent Dubai Summit was full of sensible people, who believe in using science to solve scientific problems and understand the need to keep the lights on, the economy moving and energy prices under control, Skidmore has succumbed to the extremists. His early deadline for net zero would simply mean net zero growth for the British economy.

His seat had been abolished by the boundary commissioners but he could probably have found another one. Perhaps he was bored with politics and realised that he would go no higher. There are obviously well-paid posts for platitudocrats: characters like Zac Goldsmith who fly around the world congratulating one another on their efforts to save the planet. Even so, Skidmore could have made a dignified departure. After all, he did owe his party a lot. But vanity trumped gratitude.

As well as sympathising with Lady Thatcher, Rishi Sunak ought to learn a lesson from Tony Blair: the importance of controlling the narrative. Governments are always in danger of being deluged in a tsunami of events. A Prime Minister has to find a way of rising above the stormy waters and focussing voters’ minds on his version of events.

The same is true of opposition leaders, and – unlike Tony Blair – Sir Stumbler is no natural. Indeed, he is more of a promising platitudocrat. There might be a use for a Starmer speech, but only if yawn power could be harvested as an energy source.

The PM began the new political term in campaigning mode and he enjoys stump politics much more than might be expected from a cerebral Wykehamist. He may also benefit from Sir Keir’s chosen strategy. 

The Labour leader is arguing that taxes are too high while growth is too low. Far from disagreeing, most Tories would not only concur, they would insist that those two weaknesses are related. You cannot grow the economy by increasing taxes. The tax burden had to increase because of Covid and Putin. It should now be reduced whenever possible – at all levels. 

So is Keir Starmer really stating that tax cuts should take priority over spending increases? Might he end up sounding like a re-heated Liz Truss? He would presumably reply that he should be able to afford higher public spending in the long-run because economic growth would lead to higher tax receipts. In the short-run, however, if he is serious about growth, tax cuts ought to come first.

As for growth, there should be another priority: judicious deregulation. But Angela Rayner, Sir Keir’s deputy, is in favour of injudicious re-regulation, in the form of strengthening the trade unions’ powers. Tony Blair was happy to leave the Thatcherite trade union legislation alone. Miss Rayner clearly believes that this country does not have enough strikes. Does her leader agree?

Keir Starmer may be assuming that because of the Tories’ weakness, he can take over as the advocate of free enterprise and free markets. But he will find that this involves an economic philosophy which he neither understands nor really approves of. Tories should be able to counter-attack.

Sunak is also taking a risk. He knows that the country wants change and that many voters have come to a simple conclusion: “Nothing works.”  His response: “I am the change. I’m the man who will make things work.”

From the leader of a Party which has been in office for almost fourteen years, that is breath-taking in its audacity. It could not possibly succeed – if Tony Blair were leading the Opposition. Back in John Major’s Calvary years, it did seem as if Labour could sleep-walk its way to power. To be fair to the then Mr Blair, he did far more than that. But Sir Keir? He is a natural narcolept, but it this enough? Will Labour sleep-walk and will the voters really yawn their way to the polling booths? I think that this is a far more open question than the current polls suggest.

It all depends on Rishi Sunak. Many voters growl that they are fed up with all politicians – “because they are all the same.” For better or for worse, that is palpably untrue of the current PM. 

“The men will always follow this officer, if only out of curiosity.” But curiosity is at least something. I suspect that a lot of voters do feel it about this novel figure. If so, he ought to exploit that by telling them who he is, what he believes and what his ambitions are for this country.

Looking forward to this embattled year, from the Black Sea to the Red Sea, from the Irish Sea to the South China Sea, from every ocean and every continent, there is only one conclusion. Now is no time to take anything for granted.

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