‘Operation Save Rishi’ Aims to Get Leader Through Key Vote

  • Aides say defense plan, Rwanda bill mark best week in office
  • But PM’s critics to scrutinize local, mayoral election results
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised welfare reforms, more defense spending and to start deportations to Rwanda as he gears up for local elections next week.Photographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg
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Rishi Sunak said this week he’s putting UK defense spending on a “war footing.” He might as well have been talking about his own position.

Allies of the British prime minister described the last few days as him entering campaign mode for a general election he must call by the end of January. A plan to tighten rules for welfare payments, ramming his flagship policy to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda through Parliament and a pledge to spend 2.5% of GDP on defense by 2030 all secured newspaper front-page coverage.