During a heated debate in Parliament, 59 Tory MPs voted against a crucial bill, sparking uproar within the Conservative party. Among them was Kemi Badenoch, a potential future party leader, who expressed her concerns and voted against it. This move caused at least six members of the government payroll to defy Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s proposal, with another cabinet minister abstaining.
In preparation for opposition from his own party, Sunak offered a free and un-whipped vote to allow his parliamentary troops to rebel without punishment based on their conscience. The Labour Party, which is gaining momentum ahead of the upcoming election, supported the bill by ordering its MPs to vote in favor of it.
Despite the historic nature of the bill and Sunak’s efforts to win support from his party, he may not receive much gratitude from some quarters of the Conservative party. The intense criticism of Sunak’s plan even came from some of his predecessors, each with their own issues with him after years of Tory infighting. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss criticized the bill as being “un-Conservative” and voted against it, warning MPs about potential further restrictions by “the health police.”
Overall, the intense division within the Conservative party regarding the bill’s vote showcases the various factions and dissenting opinions within the party.
