blue fury
The event saw 59 Conservative MPs vote against the bill during its second reading on Tuesday night. Economy Minister Kemi Badenoch, who is seen as a leading candidate to become the Conservative Party's next leader if it loses the election, is one of Mr Sunak's own cabinet ministers and has raised what he calls “serious concerns”. I voted against the bill for this reason.
At least six government workers voted against Sunak, with Mr Badenoch's cabinet colleague Penny Mordaunt – another favorite of the post-Sunak leadership – abstained. More than 100 Conservatives abstained.
Faced with a crisis, and aware of expected opposition from his party, which has a large Libertarian caucus, Mr. Sunak offered an unflappable free vote. It meant that his parliamentary forces could rebel with impunity on grounds of conscience.
The opposition Labor Party, which enjoyed strong support in opinion polls during the election year, saw the move as a sign of Mr Sunak's weakness. Labor MPs were told to vote in favor of the bill.
In a sign of the psychological drama surrounding the vote, some of the harshest criticism of Mr Sunak's plan came from the prime minister's direct predecessors. They each have their own ax to grind against Mr Sunak after years of Tory infighting.
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss told the BBC that the plan was “unconservative” and voted against the bill. She warned MPs in a Commons debate on Tuesday that the “health police” would next move to restrict food and alcohol.