There isn’t much a Tory prime minister can say these days without sparking an internal debate. As Rishi Sunak has fast discovered, any discussion on planning, economic growth or even childcare has the potential to lead to a war of words between the various factions in the Conservative party on the correct approach. It’s one of the reasons his advisers are in the process of slimming down the legislative agenda – scrapping bills that are viewed as a distraction or too divisive to get through.
But one area where Sunak has taken the view that there is still ample Tory support is on strikes. The prime minister plans to start the new year by introducing to the Commons this week new anti-strike laws, to enforce minimum service levels in key public sectors. While the unions have seen red, plenty of Tory MPs have praised the move and made the argument against inflation-linked pay rises across the board. The right of the party – who talk admiringly of how Margaret Thatcher took on the unions – are urging Sunak to do the same. The grassroots, too, appear to agree on pay restraint – a recent ConservativeHome poll found that seven in 10 party members support the government’s position.
