Ex-Tory chairman launches blistering tirade at ‘full idiocy’ of Rishi Sunak

A former Tory chairman has delivered a blistering tirade about “clever man” Rishi Sunak – lashing out at his “absolute idocy” in calling an early General Election.

Sir Jake Berry gave his scathing verdict, saying the former PM “must have taken leave of his senses… if he ever had them”. He added that the decision to go to the polls in July will “will go down in history as one of the most stupid political misjudgements in the history of politics”.

Sir Jake, who was party chairman in September and October 2022 under Liz Truss, lost his Rossendale and Darwen seat to Labour’s Andy MacNae last month. He told Times Radio that he is still puzzled by Mr Sunak’s decision to go to the polls in the summer, when he could have waited several more months.

Sir Jake claimed the Tories were making progress on bringing down migration when the surprise election announcement came. He said: “I think the thing it proves to me is the absolute absolute idiocy of Rishi Sunak calling an early election. Everyone tells me what a clever man he is, but I think he must have taken leave of his senses that day, if he ever had them in the first place.

“Because we’ve had an interest rate cut, the economy is growing and immigration is coming down. You know, it will just go down in history as one of the most stupid political misjudgements in the history of politics.”

Mr Sunak announced the day after the election battering that he would step down once a successor was appointed. Six contenders – James Cleverly, Dame Priti Patel, Robert Jenrick, Mel Stride, Tom Tugendhat and Kemi Badenoch – have all put themselves forward.

Ms Badenoch is claimed to have vented her fury at Mr Sunak at the first Shadow Cabinet meeting following the election. She reportedly ripped into the former PM’s decision to call an early election without telling his cabinet, and said the D-Day blunder cost figures like Penny Mordaunt their seats. Ms Badenoch went on to accuse senior Tories of failing to understand the “enormity” of the defeat they’d suffered.

Ms Badenoch stunned colleagues with her fury after other members of the shadow cabinet gave glowing tributes to the outgoing Tory leader.