Sunak Shows Staggering Lack of Judgement in Latest Blunder

Rishi Sunak ‘s Tory campaign hit a new low this week with a massive misstep. The struggling Prime Minister teamed up with a furlough fraudster for a campaign stunt, posing all smiles with Lewis Bartoli, a shady Tory candidate accused of misusing taxpayer funds during the pandemic.

This blunder has blown up the Tory campaign just weeks before election day, sparking outrage and cementing their sleazy reputation. Dubbed Sunak’s ‘Furlough Fraudster’ photo-op, it perfectly shows how out of touch the PM is with the public.

While Sunak paraded around with his controversial ally, throwing out empty slogans, the Tories are heading for disaster on July 4th. Polls predict an unprecedented wipeout, with one even forecasting the worst result in modern history.

After 14 years in power, the corrupted and clueless Tories are staring down electoral doom. Rishi Sunak is on track to go down as one of Britain’s most failed leaders. His rapid downfall is no surprise to anyone.

Polls Spell Doom for Tories

The Tory campaign hit rock bottom this week when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak teamed up with a furlough fraudster for a campaign stunt in Blyth, Northumberland.

Sunak was caught shaking hands with Lewis Bartoli, the Tory candidate for Tyneside, who’s been linked to a furlough fraud scheme. This latest blunder only adds to the Tories’ disastrous outlook, with polls predicting their worst defeat ever.

Snapping a photo with Bartoli, who denies any wrongdoing, shows just how out of touch Sunak really is. Promoting someone facing serious accusations of misusing taxpayer funds during the pandemic? Talk about tone-deaf.

The accusations say a staffer at the North Tyneside Conservative Federation kept working while fraudulently claiming furlough payments. HMRC was tipped off, and Bartoli, who was in charge of the federation then, got implicated. Northumbria Police took note but didn’t dig deeper.

However, the incident was raised in Parliament last March, with MP Mary Glindon telling Boris Johnson directly that “furlough was claimed for a member of party staff even though he continued to work.”

While Bartoli denies any wrongdoing, Sunak’s willingness to campaign alongside him displays an arrogant assumption that the party can simply ignore such matters. It smacks of the cronyism and corruption that has come to define the 14 years of Tory rule. 

A North Tyneside Conservative group spokesman blatantly said: “We unconditionally deny any allegations of fraud involving Councillor Bartoli. These claims are not only unfounded but are part of a recurring pattern of misinformation timed to coincide with the run-up to the local and general election.

“Councillor Bartoli was not in a position to make or authorise any payments from any accounts, nor was he involved with the status of any employees during the Furlough period. He had no access or authority that would enable him to engage in the activities he is being falsely accused of. It is important to highlight that this baseless story re-emerges each year solely to try and influence and damage the electoral process. Despite these repeated accusations, neither the council, the police, nor HMRC have seen any evidence that have led to any investigation, as there is nothing to investigate.

“These allegations are entirely fabricated by a disgruntled former member and should not be taken seriously. We urge the public to consider the timing and source of these claims and to focus on the factual record of Councillor Bartoli’s service and integrity. We remain committed to transparency and upholding the highest standards of conduct. We stand firmly behind Councillor Bartoli and condemn this continued attempt to mislead and manipulate public opinion.”

Just when Sunak should be reassuring voters about his commitment to integrity, he is parading around with an associate facing claims of fraudulently obtaining public funds.

This staggeringly naive blunder reveals just how out of touch Sunak and his inner circle have become after years spent in the Westminster bubble. 

While Sunak spouted optimistic slogans next to his embattled teammate, the cold hard truth is that disaster looms for the Tories in next month’s general election. 

An absolutely devastating MRP poll published this week predicts the Tories will be left with just 71 seats if the election were held today, their worst result in modern history. 

According to the survey of over 30,000 people by Survation on behalf of Best for Britain, Labour is on track to win 487 seats, handing them a mammoth parliamentary majority. Meanwhile the Tories would lose nearly 300 seats compared to their 2019 landslide victory.

The comprehensive poll lays bare just how much the political landscape has shifted against the Conservatives after 14 painful years in government. Sunak took over the leadership after Truss’ disastrous mini-budget tanked the economy and spiked mortgage rates. But his efforts to regain credibility have fallen completely flat. 

Voters have grown weary of Tory failure after failure, lurching from crisis to crisis often of their own making. The calamitous handling of Brexit, skyrocketing inflation, wasted pandemic spending, the cost of living emergency, broken NHS – the list goes on and on. 

After 14 years of stagnant wages, crumbling public services and profound corruption scandals, the people have had enough. 

Election Defeat Looms as Sunak Campaign Flounders

One of many scandals is lucrative government contracts awarded to Infosys, the Indian tech giant his wife Akshata Murty holds a massive stake in. Analysis reveals Infosys received a 50% boost in public sector invoices last year, totaling over £7 million. 

This includes major contracts from government agencies and local authorities, with Infosys paid for IT services and consultancy. The spike came despite councils facing crippling budget cuts, showing questionable prioritization.  

Sunak’s wife owns £500 million worth of shares in Infosys, giving her a significant interest in the firm’s profits. This raises alarming conflict of interest concerns over Infosys winning these lucrative public contracts under Sunak’s watch.

With taxpayers struggling, outrageous profits are leaking to Infosys partly due to Sunak’s proximity to power. 

Beyond Infosys, the £44 million in contracts awarded to Sunak’s wife’s firm in 2022 is just the tip of the iceberg. Over £100 million has flowed to Infosys over the past decade – a staggering sum highlighting deep conflicts of interest.

Sunak denies any wrongdoing, with the government claiming neutral processes are followed. But can voters really believe no strings are being pulled for the PM’s family company? The evidence suggests otherwise.

The Conservatives basically have no energy left, no fresh ideas and no vision beyond gripping onto power. 

Sunak’s lackluster campaign only reinforces this leadership vacuum. Already facing the most perilous electoral math for the Tories in decades, he is flailing desperately to turn the tide against him. But rambling speeches full of empty slogans while posing with dubious candidates will not cut it. 

The Tories are relying on a late narrowing of polls closer to election day to defend their seats. By pairing up with an alleged furlough fraudster for a photo op, Sunak shows he has learned nothing from the scandals that have tarnished the Conservative brand. It perfectly encapsulates how he represents more of the same sleaze and corruption of the Johnson era.

Some optimists in Tory circles insist there is still time to turn things around. But the depth of the hole they find themselves in leaves little room for hope.

The scale of the coming defeat is likely to spark a civil war within the party and calls for root-and-branch reform. Many will demand the Tories rediscover their ideological compass after years of populism, scandal and factional infighting. 

When the votes are counted on election night, Sunak will end up going down as one of the most failing Prime Ministers in British political history.

His rapid downfall will come as no surprise to observers who questioned his credentials from the outset. Sunak has a carefully cultivated public image that crumbles under scrutiny. 

The slick PR fails to mask his own murky dealings and an agenda that would harm ordinary people. This is a man who claimed he had ‘no working class friends’ and whose family avoided paying UK taxes even while he was Chancellor.

Handing him the keys to Number 10 was the final insult to voters fed up with Tory hubris. Sunak has ruled over a zombie government sustained only by its own sense of entitlement. 

His latest campaign blunders reveal a distracted and blinkered leader unable to grasp the public mood. The Tories are intellectually bankrupt and morally compromised after overstaying their welcome in power.

Come July 4th, Sunak will join the footnotes of history as a caretaker PM who briefly filled the void left by Truss’ disgraceful exit.

The choice at this election is clear. Britain cannot afford another five years of the same old Tories. The time has come for real change.