All the occasions Rishi Sunak did not take motion towards Tory MPs regardless of pledge

Rishi Sunak has but once more been accused of being “too weak” – this time for failing to punish Liz Truss for her behaviour within the US.

The PM tried to boast about performing on his “principles” by suspending Lee Anderson after he claimed Sadiq Khan was managed by Islamists. But Keir Starmer demanded Mr Sunak take motion towards Ms Truss too as he should take “accountability” for the Conservative Party.

The Labour chief accused him of being too weak to do something about Ms Truss, who final week sparked controversy at a right-wing convention in DC. The ex-PM has been criticised after she stayed silent in an interview the place Tommy Robinson was referred to as a “hero” and claimed the “deep state” sabotaged her plans as PM. Mr Starmer brutally mentioned about Mr Sunak: “He’s too weak to do anything about it. It’s the story of his leadership.”

The Mirror has taken a glance again in any respect the occasions Mr Sunak has did not take motion when a row has damaged out and has defied calls to take away the whip from Tories or sack ministers. It is a journey from his first speech as PM the place he pledged a premiership with “integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level”, to now, the place he continues to face accusations of being a “weak” chief.

Minister campaigned with alleged intercourse pest MP

In October, Mr Sunak got here below strain to sack a minister who went out canvassing with an alleged intercourse pest former MP who was barred from the Commons. Tom Pursglove, who was then a minister within the Department for Work and Pensions, was photographed by The Sunday Mirror doorknocking with Peter Bone, who had been given a six-week suspension the week earlier than.

Despite Labour saying it was an indication of the “abject lack of integrity” on the coronary heart of the Tory Party, Mr Sunak backed Mr Pursglove and took no motion towards him. Asked whether or not Mr Sunak has confidence in Mr Pursglove, the PM’s spokesman mentioned: “I imply, as a minister, sure.”

The No10 spokesman said the question would need to be directed to his political colleagues as it related to political campaigning. When pressed further, he refused to say whether it was “applicable” for a minister to be “out door knocking with somebody who’s been suspended for Parliament and faces some actually severe allegations”.

Mr Pursglove was moved to the more high-profile role of Legal Migration Minister in Mr Sunak’s reshuffle in December. Labour ousted the Tories in Mr Bone’s Wellingborough seat after a by-election was held earlier in February.

James Cleverly made spiking joke

Mr Sunak determined to not punish James Cleverly for joking about giving his spouse a date-rape drug because the PM thought of “the matter closed” after he apologised.

The PM was accused of an “absence of leadership, accountability and integrity” for failing to take motion towards the Home Secretary. Mr Cleverly had been dealing with calls to resign after the Mirror revealed he joked at a Downing Street reception in December about spiking his spouse’s drink with a date-rape drug.

He instructed feminine company that “a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night” was “not really illegal if it’s only a little bit”. His sick remarks got here simply hours after his Home Office introduced plans to crack down on spiking.

Asked about Mr Sunak’s stance, the PM’s deputy spokeswoman mentioned: “It was right that the Home Secretary apologised for what I understood to be comments made during a private conversation. The Prime Minister considers the matter closed and he and the Home Secretary are focused on the action that the Government is taking to tackle spiking and protect women and girls.”

Liz Truss ‘propagated conspiracy theories’

Labour demanded Mr Sunak contemplate eradicating the whip from Liz Truss after her look at CPAC convention in DC final week sparked controversy. Chair of the social gathering Anneliese Dodds accused the ex-PM of “propagating conspiracy theories” and “associating with individuals who have actually praised the far right in our country”. “That’s deeply disturbing, and we’ve not seen any action being taken,” Ms Dodds instructed Sky News.

Mr Starmer raised the problem in PMQs on Wednesday and accused the PM of being “weak” for failing to take motion towards his predecessor who “spent last week claiming that Britain is run by a shadowy cabal made up of activists, the deep state and most chillingly of all the Financial Times”. Ms Truss has additionally been criticised for failing to say something when right-wing activist Tommy Robinson was praised as a “hero” throughout an interview the place she was current.

But when pressed on the problem, Mr Sunak mentioned not a “single MP” supported Robinson, who based the far-right English Defence League. He then dodged the query to boast about sacking Mr Anderson “straight away”. Meanwhile Policing Minister Chris Philp earlier mentioned Ms Truss shouldn’t obtain the identical sanction as Mr Anderson “because I don’t think she has done anything wrong”.

Nadine Dorries was absent MP for months earlier than lastly quitting

In March final 12 months, Rishi Sunak refused as well Nadine Dorries out of the Tories though she went AWOL from Parliament. The ex-minister was raking in an £84,000 MP wage though she had not spoken within the Commons for months.

At the time the PM condemned Mrs Dorries’ failure to signify her Mid Bedfordshire constituency in Parliament, together with his press secretary saying he “obviously would want any Tory MP to be carrying out their duties on behalf of their constituents and those that vote for them”. However, he nonetheless did not take disciplinary motion towards her.

The state of affairs acquired worse when Mrs Dorries introduced she could be leaving her seat with “immediate effect” in June however failed to take action till almost three months later. But Mr Sunak once more did not take any motion towards the absentee MP.

During the delay, Lib Dem Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper mentioned: “It is disgraceful that she continues to have the Conservative Party whip. Clearly Rishi Sunak thinks Nadine Dorries’s actions are nonetheless worthy of being a Conservative MP. Local persons are fed up with being taken without any consideration by this out of contact Conservative social gathering.”

Paul Maynard stored job regardless of ongoing bills investigation

Last month, Mr Sunak got here below strain to droop a Tory minister who’s dealing with investigation over claims he used taxpayers’ cash to marketing campaign for the Conservative Party.

Pensions minister Paul Maynard has been referred by the Parliamentary bills watchdog over experiences that he used his taxpayer-funded constituency workplace to marketing campaign for the Conservative Party and charged taxpayers when producing political supplies.

The PM confronted calls to droop the whip from Mr Maynard whereas claims are reviewed. The Liberal Democrats urged Mr Sunak to droop the Tory whip from him and take away him as a minister whereas “these extremely serious allegations are investigated”. Labour mentioned “any suggestion that taxpayer money has been misused must be thoroughly investigated”.

But, but once more, Mr Sunak refused to take motion. He mentioned Mr Maynard shouldn’t have the whip eliminated over the claims as he mentioned that was “not the normal approach”.

Dominic Raab resigned and wasn’t sacked

Early final 12 months, Mr Sunak selected to not droop his then-Deputy PM Dominic Raab whereas an inquiry into bullying accusations was ongoing, regardless of intense strain to take action.

The Mirror revealed that civil servants declare they suffered breakdowns and felt suicidal over the then-Justice Secretary’s alleged conduct – with employees saying working the Tory felt like being in a “controlling and abusive relationship”. He was being investigated over eight complaints throughout his time on the Ministry of Justice, the Foreign Office and the previous Brexit division, that are mentioned to contain at the very least 24 employees.

Months later, a long-awaited report into the allegations was lastly handed to No10. But Mr Sunak did not act instantly and was accused of “dither and delay” after kicking a call on whether or not to sack his Mr Raab into the next day.

In the tip, Mr Sunak by no means sacked Mr Raab. Instead Mr Raab stop after the bombshell bullying report upheld claims towards him. At the time, Labour hit out at Mr Sunak’s “indecision and weakness” in permitting Mr Raab to stop relatively than sacking him. Number 10 declined to say whether or not the deputy PM was requested to resign, or whether or not he would in any other case have been sacked.

Gavin Williamson resigned and wasn’t sacked

In November 2022, a month after he turned PM, Mr Sunak stubbornly refused to sack Gavin Williamson after he was accused of sending abusive messages to a Tory colleague complaining about not being invited to the Queen’s funeral.

The row sparked questions on Mr Sunak’s judgement after he introduced Sir Gavin again into Government – regardless of the Tory MP being sacked by each Theresa May and Boris Johnson in recent times. Mr Sunak additionally gave Sir Gavin a seat “without portfolio” on the Cabinet desk though Mr Sunak knew there was an impressive bullying criticism towards him from former chief whip Wendy Morton.

Mr Sunak mentioned: “I stand by all the decisions I have made.” And his spokesman even said the PM has “full confidence” in Sir Gavin. Just days later a sequence of separate bullying accusations have been made towards Sir Gavin, together with that he allegedly instructed an aide to “slit your throat”. Sir Gavin was forced to resign.

At the time, Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said: “Rishi Sunak appointed Gavin Williamson with full knowledge of serious allegations about his conduct and repeatedly expressed confidence in him. This is yet another example of Rishi Sunak’s poor judgement and weak leadership.”

Nadhim Zahawi tax affair dragged on earlier than sacking

In January final 12 months, Tory Chairman Nadhim Zahawi was sacked for a “serious breach” of the ministerial code after a significant row over his tax affairs dragged on for days.

The prime minister had come below intense strain after it emerged that he had settled a multi-million tax dispute – together with a penalty – with HMRC whereas he was Chancellor final summer season. Mr Sunak didn’t instantly sack him, however as a substitute tried to defuse the sleaze row by ordering his ethics advisor to launch a probe – and solely days after he instructed MPs that the matter had been resolved.

Mr Sunak lastly sacked Mr Zahawi the next week after the ethics probe by made it “clear there has been a serious breach of the ministerial code”. But the harm had been achieved, with ex-Tory Cabinet minister Michael Portillo saying on the time that Mr Sunak’s failure to sack Mr Zahawi earlier made him look “weak”.

“This thing has been in the headlines now for days and days and days and it’s been doing terrible damage to the government,” he mentioned. “I think he did have an opportunity to get rid of him earlier… It pains me to say this, but I think on the whole it makes Rishi look weak. I think he must have been kicking himself all week that he decided to refer this to an investigation rather than going with a decision straight away.”

Suella Braverman survived a number of calls to go earlier than sacking

Rishi Sunak but once more confronted calls to punish his then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman in November after she was accused of inciting far-right thugs, who went on to storm the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.

It got here simply days after Ms Braverman described homelessness as a “lifestyle choice”, which Mr Sunak did not criticise her, solely selecting to distance himself from them. Similarly, two months earlier than the PM did not say if he agreed together with her explosive assertion that multiculturalism has “failed” within the UK.

The PM dithered for 2 days over whether or not to sack her after the Cenotaph incident. The row erupted after Ms Braverman penned a scathing letter attacking police chiefs, which it emerged she defied No10’s orders on. After mounting strain, he finally sacked her.