Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain could find himself in a familiar predicament after his Conservative Party went down to defeat in parliamentary elections in two districts on Thursday: isolated, embattled and the subject of whispered plotting by restive Tories bent on pushing him out for a new leader.
The crushing loss of two seats in once-reliable Conservative areas capped another dismal week for Mr. Sunak.
Economic data confirmed on Thursday that Britain had fallen into recession at the end of last year, undermining one of the prime minister’s five core pledges — that he would recharge the country’s growth.
Yet the scheming against Mr. Sunak, analysts said, is no more likely to go anywhere than it has during his previous leadership crises.
However desperate the political straits of the Conservatives, they would find it hard, at this late stage, to replace their languishing prime minister with someone else.
Persons:
Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson —
Organizations:
Conservative Party, Conservatives, Conservative
Locations:
Britain