Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
John Stevens

More than half of voters want a general election now as Rishi Sunak drowns in sleaze

Voters are demanding a general election now as Rishi Sunak’s government drowns in sleaze.

More than half want to head to the ballot box to have a say on who runs the country.

The survey, conducted for the Mirror by Redfield and Wilton, shows around four in 10 (41%) believe the PM does not have a mandate to govern. Only 31% disagree.

Mr Sunak was handed the keys of No10 in October without a single vote being cast by Tory MPs, party members or the public.

He has binned the Conservatives’ 2019 election manifesto as well as the pledges he made in the leadership contest in the summer.

Asked which party they associate with sleaze, 38% said Tories compared to only 9% who picked Labour. Around a fifth (19%) said both parties, while 11% chose neither.

Voters want a say on whether Keir Starmer should take over as PM (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

The Prime Minister, who marked 100 days in office today promised to lead a government with “integrity, professionalism and accountability” at every level.

But he has faced a series of sleaze scandals.

Gavin Williamson resigned from Cabinet after just two weeks after he faced bullying claims.

Deputy PM Dominic Raab is currently being investigated over complaints he bullied dozens of civil servants.

Mr Sunak was criticised for appointing Suella Braverman as Home Secretary just six days after she was sacked from the job for leaking.

The PM last month was fined by the police for failing to wear a seat belt as he filmed an Instagram video in the back of the car.

And Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi was sacked last weekend for attempting to hide the truth about not paying enough in tax.

Nadhim Zahawi was sacked as Conservative Party chair on Sunday (PA)

Critics have warned that the country is broken after 13 years of Tory rule.

The NHS is suffering its worst crisis in history as patients face record waiting lists and there are delays in ambulances getting to the seriously ill.

Mr Sunak has been criticised for failing to negotiate an end to the strikes across the public sector, including the health service, schools and railways.

In the poll yesterday, asked whether Parliament should call a general election now, a whopping 52% said yes with 32% opposed.

Voters don't think Rishi Sunak has a mandate to govern (Getty Images)

Mr Sunak was beaten by Liz Truss in the race to become Tory leader in the summer.

She was forced to stand down after just 49 days when her catastrophic mini-Budget caused economic carnage.

Mr Sunak was crowned as her replacement after Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt withdrew from the contest to succeed her.

He won by default without receiving a single vote or uttering a single word in public.

During the contest, his only public statements were a 166-word written message launching his campaign and a 66-word tweet after Mr Johnson withdrew.

More than 149,000 people have now signed the Mirror's petition on the 38 Degrees website calling for a general election now.

:: Redfield and Wilton interviewed 1,500 adults in Britain online on February 2.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.