Hacked and wiretapped: Russia is reportedly behind the attack on former British Prime Minister Liz Truss’s private mobile phone. In the krone.tv conversation with Jana Pasching, political scientist Melanie Sully gives insights that paint an exciting picture for us in Austria too because of the current chat cause: Because of the Freedom of Information Act in Britain, politicians are afraid that if they use their mobile phone at work, everything can become public. “That’s why everything is being shifted to private mobile phones. Then they can say it’s my private cell phone and has nothing to do with the government.” Chatlogs and who says what to whom is an additional problem, “we also know that from Austria”, says Sully. Most recently, text messages and related allegations of bullying against Secretary of State Gavin Williamson caused trouble for current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. “Politicians are very rude to each other, insult each other. There are no more ways.”
According to the political scientist, no one is relaxed about what is happening politically in England. The whole thing has been going on for over a year. Starting with the wild parties on Downing Street, suitcases sent to supermarkets to be smuggled into the office undetected, filled with alcohol, to published party photos of Boris Johnson. Voters are disappointed across the board. The more conservative voters in the South were shocked by the political morale and the lack of a code of conduct. In the north, in the working-class areas, people have different concerns, maybe a little more tolerant of parties, Sully says, but wonder what happens to their tax money and why the government parties instead of working.
Sunak is much more modest
Whether Rishi Sunak will do better remains to be seen. At least he’s learned from the wails of his own past, Sully said. The richest MP in the British House of Commons has repeatedly caused a stir in recent months. For example, he showed up with a £180 coffee mug and his wife, Akshata Murty, made headlines with her tax tricks. Sunak is now much more inconspicuous and modest. When moving to Downing Street, care was taken to ensure that no mistakes were made. Sunak probably realized this wouldn’t go down well with the public otherwise, Sully said.
Tories ‘vault each other in the War of the Roses’
Will the new Prime Minister be able to unite the divided Tories? Conflicts in the Conservative Party would continue. There would no longer be just two wings, but now six or seven. The Tories are “a flightless bird,” said the political scientist. However, these various wings would not disappear as they all have the prospect of becoming possible successors to Sunak. “They are all in the War of the Roses against each other. Unlike Austria, where you usually have coalitions in a government, this coalition building takes place within the party. And that can be very destructive.”
Sunak will therefore have a hard time. The wounds and scars, who offended whom, the egos that were offended, you can’t fix that overnight, Sully says.
See the full interview with Melanie Sully in the interview above.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
