There were always certain phrases associated with the British Conservative party when I was growing up. One was that they claimed (with some justification) to be the natural party of government. Between 1886 and 1997 they were in government for 77 out of 111 years, and between 1951 and 1997 they occupied power for 35 out of 46 years.
They said that their secret weapon was loyalty. Some claimed that they were less interested in ideology and more in what actually works in practical terms. And that they strongly believed in the idea of personal responsibility, in the union of the UK and being practical people dedicated to solving problems.
After yet another torrid week in British politics, none of these assertions seems to hold - if they ever did.
It is true that the Conservative party has been the UK's most formidable election-winning machine. It is also true that one reason for that has been its ability to adapt to changing times. But the past week has been a horror show, undermining still further the leadership – if that is the right word – of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and revealing a streak of national populism, Islamophobia, and failure to recognise one simple fact. After 14 years in government, it is very difficult for the party to escape responsibility for the serious problems in British public life.
In the most glaring case of self-harm within the Conservative party and the country, former deputy chair Lee Anderson said of London Mayor (and Labour party member) Sadiq Khan: "I don't actually believe that the Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is they've got control of Khan and they've got control of London ... He's actually given our capital city away to his mates." Mr Khan responded: "These comments pour fuel on the fire of anti-Muslim hatred."
Numerous commentators and politicians of all parties and different religious and cultural backgrounds agreed with Mr Khan and condemned Mr Anderson's comments as Islamophobic. But there's more. Much more.
Former home secretary Suella Braverman, who like Mr Anderson remains an MP, called pro-Palestinian protesters "hate marchers" who are not interested in Gaza, asserting "the primacy by certain groups - particularly Islamists". She even suggested that Islamists are in some way in charge in Britain.
Again, the comments were widely condemned. Zara Mohammed, the Muslim Council of Britain secretary general, called for an investigation and said: "Our view is that the Islamophobia in the [Conservative] party is institutional, tolerated by the leadership and seen as acceptable by great swathes of the party membership."
There's still more.
Former prime minister Liz Truss, speaking at the US Conservative Political Action Conference, suggested that her seven weeks in power were scuppered not by her own incompetence and spooking the financial markets with a failed budget programme but by the "deep state", including the Financial Times and The Economist.
She said: "These are the friends of the bureaucratic establishment and they are the friends of the deep state and they work together with the bureaucrats, of which we've got many more in Britain than you have here in the US, to keep things the same."
Former ministers now seem to act as if they were in opposition for the past 14 years
No personal responsibility. No contrition. No shame. And what has become extraordinary after 14 years of being in government is the way in which former ministers now seem to act not like former ministers, accepting responsibility for what they have done. Instead, they often act as if they were in opposition for the past 14 years. They are running as far away as possible from the mess they have created and blaming – in the case of Ms Truss with increasing fatuity – everyone else except themselves.
The serious point is that the UK appears rudderless. Mr Sunak is deeply unpopular, even within his own party. A leader like Margaret Thatcher inspired loyalty but also fear. Mr Sunak inspires neither. Even Boris Johnson established his authority by getting rid of Conservative MPs who did not support his Brexit plans.
Perhaps – as usual – there is a lesson from history.
Oliver Cromwell, the leader who led a coup against the British monarchy in the 17th century, turned on Parliament with words that have gone down in history.
Cromwell told Parliament, in 1653: "It is not fit that you should sit here any longer. You have sat here too long for any good you have been doing lately ... In the name of God, go."
On May 7, 1940, in the darkest days of the Second World War, a Conservative MP named Leopold Amery used similar language to urge the departure of Neville Chamberlain as prime minister and help Winston Churchill lead the war effort.
Amery said: "Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go."
Someone within the Conservative party needs to find the courage to say something similar right now to Mr Sunak. If he stays, things will get worse for him – and worse for the country.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
ICC men's cricketer of the year
2004 - Rahul Dravid (IND) ; 2005 - Jacques Kallis (SA) and Andrew Flintoff (ENG); 2006 - Ricky Ponting (AUS); 2007 - Ricky Ponting; 2008 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI); 2009 - Mitchell Johnson (AUS); 2010 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND); 2011 - Jonathan Trott (ENG); 2012 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL); 2013 - Michael Clarke (AUS); 2014 - Mitchell Johnson; 2015 - Steve Smith (AUS); 2016 - Ravichandran Ashwin (IND); 2017 - Virat Kohli (IND); 2018 - Virat Kohli; 2019 - Ben Stokes (ENG); 2021 - Shaheen Afridi
The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE squad
Men's draw: Victor Scvortov and Khalifa Al Hosani, (both 73 kilograms), Sergiu Toma and Mihail Marchitan (90kg), Ivan Remarenco (100kg), Ahmed Al Naqbi (60kg), Musabah Al Shamsi and Ahmed Al Hosani (66kg)
Women’s draw: Maitha Al Neyadi (57kg)
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Favourite things
Luxury: Enjoys window shopping for high-end bags and jewellery
Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount
University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China
Masters: Studying part-time for a master’s degree in international business marketing in Dubai
Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China
Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
RESULTS
Cagliari 5-2 Fiorentina
Udinese 0-0 SPAL
Sampdoria 0-0 Atalanta
Lazio 4-2 Lecce
Parma 2-0 Roma
Juventus 1-0 AC Milan
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
MATCH INFO
Serie A
Juventus v Fiorentina, Saturday, 8pm (UAE)
Match is on BeIN Sports
More coverage from the Future Forum
