A week into taking office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, things around Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party were eerily quiet. That takes some getting used to, says correspondent Lia van Bekhoven, who can already hear it rumble for the Tories in the distance. The list of issues awaiting a decision from Sunak is long.

Sunak calmed markets in his first week as prime minister by canceling almost everything planned by his predecessor Liz Truss. A new budget plan will follow on November 17, slightly later than planned. It should then be clear how the £50 billion budget deficit will be addressed. According to British media, Sunak will cut spending while raising taxes.

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Big problem

In addition to those shortfalls, Sunak faces “big problems”, said Van Bekhoven. ‘Britain is also threatening recession while the public sector is in acute decline. On top of that, the border issue with Northern Ireland remains a problem, coupled with rising energy prices and the UK’s absence from the climate summit in Egypt next week.’ But the current issue is the Secretary of Home Affairs, Suella Braverman.

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He was already controversial because of his strict asylum policy, said Van Bekhoven. ‘He dreams of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda’. During Liz Truss’ brief tenure, Braverman was fired for various violations of government agreements and for disclosing details of migration policies through her personal e-mail. “Less than a week after Truss fired him and after Sunak rehired him, Braverman refused to send asylum seekers to overcrowded detention centers but placed them in makeshift centers in Dover.” According to Van Bekhoven, Braverman couldn’t last long, partly for this reason.

Need rest

Even so, the ranks within the Conservative Party appeared closed. According to Van Bekhoven, there is also a very strong need to end the turmoil of recent months. ‘But honeymoon Sunak will soon be over considering the big trouble that awaits him’. Keeping the various clubs in the party happy would be difficult, he expected.

Sunak is expected to suspend major investments and rethink government spending. ‘Then it was inevitable that members of the House of Commons would move because the electorate would not be happy about this.’

But there wasn’t much for Sunak to do other than cut spending and raise taxes, thought Van Bekoven. And that’s a problem, because the public sector is already nervous and new cuts will be difficult to make. “But only increasing taxes for those who can afford, extending windfall taxes for energy companies cannot close the £50 billion gap.”