UK Conservative lawmaker formally resigns with scathing attack on PM Sunak

LONDON, Aug 27 (Reuters) – British MP Nadine Dorries launched a scathing attack on her Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak in her formal letter of resignation, accusing the prime minister of running a “zombie parliament” and lacking Political vision.

Dorries, a close ally of former leader Boris Johnson, had announced in June she would resign and later faced increasing criticism for failing to do so, preventing the election to replace her from being held in conjunction with three other local votes last month.

Dorries formally resigned on Saturday night with a lengthy resignation letter that took a toll on Sunak. By-elections to replace her are likely to take place in the autumn, presenting the Conservatives with another test of her popularity when they trail the opposition Labor Party in opinion polls.

“Since you took office a year ago, the country has been run by a zombie parliament where nothing significant has happened. What exactly has been done or what has been achieved?” Dorries said.

“You hold the post of prime minister without being elected, without a single vote, not even from your own parliamentarians. You have no mandate from the people and the government is adrift. You have wasted the goodwill of the nation, for what? “

A Sunak spokesman declined to comment.

Sunak, a former finance minister and investment banker, became prime minister. in October last year after being the only candidate nominated in a party leadership race. This followed a series of scandals that forced Johnson to resign as prime minister, and economic turmoil that led to his successor, Liz Truss, resigning after just six weeks.

Sunak has tried to use his technocratic leadership to restore his party’s credibility. But with high inflation, economic stagnation, industrial unrest and long waiting times to use the state health service, his Conservatives trail far behind Labor in the polls ahead of an election scheduled for next year.

By-elections are considered one of the few remaining opportunities to gauge public support before those elections. In July, Sunak’s Conservatives lost two strategically important parliamentary seats but unexpectedly retained Johnson’s old constituency, in a setback for Labour.

“In his eagerness to become prime minister, he puts his personal ambition before the stability of the country and our economy,” Dorries said.

“Bewildered, we searched in vain for a grand political vision for the people of this great country to cling to, that would make all this disruption and subsequent inertia worth it, and found absolutely nothing.”

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