Editorial Board
Tory Troubles Were a Long Time In the Making
The UK’s Conservatives squandered trust primarily over mismanagement of the economy.
Swimming against the tide.
Photographer: Chris J. Ratcliffe/BloombergLast week, when UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a general election for July 4, he very likely put an end date on his party’s long stretch of governance. After 14 years in charge, what exactly have the Conservatives accomplished?
Clearly, according to consistent polls, many Britons are ready for a change. But ejecting perhaps the world’s most electorally successful political party suggests more than ennui is to blame. Conservatives’ predicament should serve as a warning to political parties that fail in that most important job: governing well.