Sunak faces ‘shambolic’ CCHQ as moral plummets | Alain Tolhurst

“It’s pretty dire.”
Moral at CCHQ is “shambolic” as pressure amounts on Rishi Sunak to “keep the party going” with just three weeks left till the general election, says Politics Home’s Alain Tolhurst.
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[@sol2746]

Tories OUT.

[@wleon4068]

FOR GOOD!!!

[@Ken-bz7kj]

Illegal immigrants in! 😂

[@Ken-bz7kj]

Illegals in! And more’s coming!

[@sol2746]

Tories have done a terrible job of keeping them out.

[@WilliamMacKenzie-dq6bf]

​@@sol2746 You could've stopped at "terrible job"....

[@woodencreatures]

If Mercer has done such a fantastic job how come I'm always reading about homeless veterans living on the streets with mental health issues?

[@susanpettitt713]

One near me living rough....

[@stephenhill545]

Mercer doesn''t care. He backed Sunak over D-Day. Party before country.

[@michaelfoy]

Because Mercer HASN'T done Anything....the guy is One BIG Ego-trip....and USELESS....

[@user-vt9vd1uu4b]

Because he is full of hot air.

[@hypsyzygy506]

Tories are allergic to social support.

[@hungry_sailor9470]

It’s bizarre to me that he’s running on a ticket that’s all about what the government has done for veterans, but as a veteran, I have no idea what that is, apart from a useless Veterans ID card

[@daydays12]

Thanks for that. The other thing is to get you ( as a taxpayer) to the pay the salary of a so-called 'veteran's minister'!!

[@spookyt8692]

It’s like when politicians say they care about the children, they really don’t. This is the same government that wouldn’t feed hungry school children over a summer. Why would they care about say, homeless veterans for example? Sure they SAY they do, but their policies and actions suggest otherwise.

[@MKHNitro]

14 years of doing nothing for veterans except prosecute them but now he spouts they're going to do something and actually thinks people will believe it

[@charleswhite758]

It's just a PR stunt

[@56NeilWatson]

Same here

[@bigtony4829]

Watching this video with the wife and she said " why would anyone vote Tory they haven't made anything better in 14 years I thought about that and she's right isnt she ? ..I cant think of anything thats better now than before they got elected

[@GLTDubstep]

They’ve made literally everything worse. They’re so corrupt they haven’t managed to make a single thing even a tiny bit better.

[@David-nd4to]

its actually quite obvious for anyone without money they havent benefitted from tories

[@realitywins9020]

It's got better for billionaires. And that's about it

[@ChristopherFynn001]

Those who were in the "VIP lane" during the pandemic have benefited.

[@felixarbable]

if youve had 14 years to do it why havent you done it!

[@daydays12]

My point too. They've just grifted for 14 years.... cut local authority budgets by 40% in real terms and given multi billion contracts to their mates. Despicable bunch of thieving knaves the lot of them.

[@maccagrabme]

@@daydays12 Labour are no better but this lot should know better. 14 years of a wasted vote.

[@sushiginger444]

“Moral plummets”. Freudian slip?

[@Databhoy]

Or just a sign of declining standards at the Times?

[@bobikdylan]

@@Databhoy The latter. I've pointed out things like this before. Usually deleted.

[@particlecloud]

Elementary errors in Times Radio titles are so common that I wonder if they are deliberate clickbait? Some people must pile in to complain about titles of videos they might might not otherwise have watched. I just did. 🙂

[@richardkuklinski6537]

@@bobikdylan Same has happened to me also

[@TerriObrien-mi5rx]

Mercer the biggest grifter going,paying his family.just another corrupt Tory, Vote him out 🤡🤡🤡🤮

[@callmeal4183]

Fourteen years to legislate regarding veterans with at one time an eighty seat majority in the Commons.

[@pcmonkfish8349]

Mercer is an arrogant grifter. He is just fighting for his (100k) and his wife’s 40k plus salary. He received a severance payment from Truss and obfuscated/lied to journalists when questioned. As I result I hope Mercer will eschew receiving a SECOND one.

[@user-dl3gh7pm9h]

No money in their coffers? Oh the irony....

[@Gerrygambone]

Sunak richer than the King, but the tightarse won't spend his money

[@daydays12]

How can that be? Where have all the millions gone? Into tory grifter pockets I guess. Such sc*m

[@hypsyzygy506]

What happened to all the PPE fraud money? Why aren't the fraudsters supporting the Tories, when they know Labour will come after them?

[@swanvictor887]

I hear Michelle Moan has a few bob (you know, from those useless PPE outfits she conned us with) and of course Matt Hancock is a multi-millionaire, again, from FRAUDULENT Contracts...so, no excuse really, is there?

[@mr_incognito9305]

They're struggling to pay for their Sky TV at CCHQ now

[@chrisbirmingham5132]

Morals plummet. There, fixed it.

[@geoffreybuckingham689]

Morale plummets. There, fixed it.

[@hypsyzygy506]

Morals plummet and morale plummets. Fixed it.

[@chrisbirmingham5132]

@@geoffreybuckingham689 I'm sticking with my version, based on fact rather than journalistic opinion.

[@alpinenewtplaysgames4509]

'Moral' can't plummet from zero.

[@deja-view1017]

It is coming to something when The Times radio can't spell morale. How the 'intellectuals' have fallen!

[@hekeenkl2665]

it does ... go into minus !!!

[@deja-view1017]

@@hekeenkl2665 Can you have less morale than none?

[@hekeenkl2665]

@@deja-view1017 sigh hhhhhh

[@jasonkoch3182]

Conservatives have proven that statement to be incorrect, even though it’s a typo.

[@MrGarethgates]

Sounds like you're getting a good telling off on the doors. Warms my heart. Bizzare how you don't accept any responsibility for what the tories have done to us over the last 14 years.

[@samuelfawell9159]

Of course not, they are STILL trying to blame the last Labor government. They seem to be trying to paint the idea that each time they replaced the PM it was a fresh start and the previous 14 years didn’t happen.

[@kiriakoz]

recent polling have shown that this guy is going to get hammered. I can't wait.

[@daydays12]

That'll be great. I was brought up in Plymouth. I'll be happy to see this character go.

[@richardruff8712]

Let us hope for a lot of 'Portillo ' moments, during the night of 4th/5th July... From what I'm reading, I doubt if there is such a thing as a ' safe ' Tory seat any more... Any Tory MP with a majority of 15,000 should be considered a ' Marginal ' seat...

[@ArtyFactual_Intelligence]

Johnny Beaten Mercerlessly Headline on the morning after.

[@kiriakoz]

@@ArtyFactual_Intelligence not bad, I'll take it.

[@toriesout8692]

I speak with veterans and they’ve seen nothing tangible from him. It’s basically an empty platitude that we have to pay for.

[@dschoene57]

Let me get out my tiny, tiny violin...

[@paulinetipper1351]

Rishi has claimed he cares about the veterans, yet they are on the streets and we house migrants in hotels at vast expense.Methinks Rishi lies.

[@dlloydy5356]

Exactly this. I read an account of a veteran sleeping on a bench opposite an illegals hotel watching the comings & going....he was barred from going in/near! Vile. Yet these people in gov expect the military to do their bidding. No wonder recruitment is falling

[@kevinsmarts9953]

Although asylum seekers can become migrants if they are processed and granted asylum, while they are in limbo they are not migrants. They are unprocessed asylum seekers who are only in hotels due to a complete failure of the system under a government that has chosen to weaponise their plight. Vast sums of money could have been saved either by processing as every other country on the planet manages to do or simply by allowing them to work while pending processing so that they could pay a rent and taxes. To blame them when they are equally victims of bad government as those homeless veterans is unfair. The homeless veterans should gather outside Downing Street if they want to look at the reason they are in their situation.

[@dlloydy5356]

@@kevinsmarts9953 I get that however why not implement emergency legislation regardless of whether agree/disagree with the migrant mess…emergency response as happened during Covid for the homeless? How insulting for veterans in particular for those who served in countries where many migrants have no doubt come from? It’s terrible. Also the veterans would have paid taxes like the majority whereas anyone arriving hasn’t.

[@OneEyedWheeler]

@@kevinsmarts9953 I know where you got your surname from. People bringing asylum seekers into the conversation and getting mad at them is such a simple-minded take on the issue. The government could look after our veterans, it just chooses not to. I believe this would be the case with or without unprocessed asylum seekers being housed in converted hotels.

[@kevinsmarts9953]

@@dlloydy5356 I'm not against far more being done for veterans. I think they are treated despicably by the government.

[@Oscuros]

*Morale plummets. You're welcome, yet you expect to be paid and I'm not, so why would I give you any of my own money in those circumstances.

[@catherinemartin6258]

Little Johnny wouldn’t tell you the truth even if it slapped him across the face

[@daydays12]

That's so true. The only thing he said that was true was that he gets up every day. That's quite an achievement!! He says there's something about veterans in the manifesto! Why hasn't he done any of that during his time and haven't the tories done any of that during the 14 years the tories have been in power.

[@joesoy9185]

If there were such things as Tory morals, it's true that particularly under Johnson, they plummeted badly.

[@ArtyFactual_Intelligence]

Not much has changed since Profumo...the first Tory scandal that I heard of.

[@vivwindsor4055]

I love hearing the Tories complain about the media, which is heavily in the favour. All this week, the Mail, Telegraph and Express has been desparately trying to spread panic about 'Labour's hidden taxes'. For once it itsn't really working. Maybe if Boris Johnson had been scrutinised to the degree that Kier Starmer is, we wouldn't be where we are now.

[@nathanav1634]

feels a bit self-defeating, at some point papers need to realise they're working against public opinion, that can't be good for sales longterm

[@kevinsmarts9953]

@@nathanav1634 Its good for their owners, that is all they care about.

[@samuelfawell9159]

They are complaining because their usual tactic isn’t working, lying more and more, even with the media on their side their popularity is STILL dropping. They don’t understand what’s happening, their usual tactic isn’t working.

[@MrGavinBoyd]

Interesting Freudian slip. Moral instead of morale.

[@robmc3338]

Yep, they have morals

[@piccalillipit9211]

*YOU GOT TO FIGHT - FOR THE RIGHT* to dee-To-ry

[@anastasiabeaverhausen5467]

Several Morals were seen plummeting to their deaths from the Ivory Tower, said shocked onlookers.

[@leisti]

Vote out to help out!

[@maccagrabme]

These large parties thought they were untouchable.

[@user-gv1ep1tv5m]

Nothings changed over 14 miserable years then.

[@jamesgravil9162]

Not true. Things have got a lot more miserable. That's change, right?

[@tonywilcock6334]

Considering our recent experiences of the Tories it's quite possible the campaign funds have been misappropriated😂

[@swanvictor887]

🤣🤣🤣 'Boris.....Boris....?!'

[@johnholkham2420]

Perhaps they have blown all the party funds at the bookies .

[@kevinwalton4538]

I know, let’s interview grifter Mercer, who is terrified to associate himself with the party he is a member of and wants electing. I,I, I, I, I……..

[@ralphclark]

Morale. MORALE. Whoever wrote this headline, you had one job.

[@colinwhyte3402]

A RM Officer does not lie. Obviously a conservative MP does lie through their teeth.

[@eightiesmusic1984]

Moral and morale are different. This should be obvious.

[@JonathanCheeseman]

Not to today's generation of headline writers.

[@mikelheron20]

​@@JonathanCheesemanSine of these uneducated times. (Yes. I know. It's a joke.)

[@JonathanCheeseman]

@@mikelheron20 That's actually a pretty good joke! If there are 2 of them would they be co-sines?

[@kevinsmarts9953]

@@JonathanCheeseman I think you've gone off on a tangent

[@JonathanCheeseman]

@@kevinsmarts9953 I have to a degree.

[@benmayhew2K]

It's over adios

[@MontyCantsin5]

Tories have morals?

[@jasoncooper9391]

😂😂😂 deluded

[@hypsyzygy506]

No. (on the available evidence)

[@swanvictor887]

there's never been a recorded case

[@broadcast-east]

Captain Mercer has lost so much respect from Vets

[@adblocker276]

He is a crook.

[@daydays12]

He takes a salary and that's about it. Typical tory grift

[@davesandall4530]

Him and his Mrs are top-notch grifters

[@stephenhill545]

He paid his wife loads, it's a crime.

[@monkeyboy8424]

The game's up. Was Ritchie Sunak pretending all along....

[@mikelheron20]

Rishie.

[@monkeyboy8424]

@@mikelheron20 Ritchie by nature - Ritchie by name.

[@ste7759]

He is a wef plant ! So is starmer! He is simply handing the batton on and for people saying he's incompetent and useless those calling the shots at the un , wef and who probably disagree

[@liberalmatt]

Your sub-editor needs a dictionary. MoralE.

[@coastalsandwich]

This Mercer guy always seems extremely irritable lol

[@daydays12]

nasty piece of work

[@Silver-st2zq]

It's a hard life being a Toff Tory.

[@dolleywhite4438]

I'd like to see the evidence about veterans support. Tempory local accomodation down . Funding for local authorities who provide support down Cost of living up Mental health support down??

[@Dav1Gv]

Would it be fair to describe the Tory campaign as 'the biggest f*** up since Mons'?

[@user-ur8pi9ob5b]

Money can smell failure.

[@papamurrth1]

"The Tories changed the rules to allow their rich mates to donate and buy British politics, but were surprised when democracy kicked in and peoplel voted them out, even after they bent the rules in their favour. Here is a pissy Tory MP to answer every question disingenuously and lie"

[@mattwright2964]

Morale not "Moral" ....ffs has the Times, the 'Thunderer', sunk such low with journalistic standards!!!

[@dlloydy5356]

So if Sunak has consistently backed him he’s accepting responsibility for the non action/not looking after veterans. Why would anyone want to join the military?

[@deadspeak2007]

To constant questioning about labour tax, is fed by people like Johnny mecer repeating that labour are going to raise taxes, and the interviewer not pulling them up on it. It seaps through.

[@hypsyzygy506]

_The Times_ is a Tory rag.

[@jasoncooper9391]

How many times have the Tories put up Tax 😂😂😂

[@maccagrabme]

Not as many times as Labour will but shocking all the same.

[@jasoncooper9391]

@@maccagrabme well they have to beat the 25 times the Tories have done

[@gavinreid9184]

What a useless interview. Not a single challenge, just a platform for this minister to say what he wants.

[@evolassunglasses4673]

Torys need to stand down.

[@SlowhandGreg]

For what a good majority of the 20% left would never vote for the king of bullsh1t ever

[@barbaraarndt5293]

Does this MP actually talks to veterans who are homeless and have to get food from food banks?

[@kat2023.]

They say they're on the streets, knocking on doors, but not a single Tory canvasser or MP has knocked on my door since the disaster that was Brexit. Labour has, but no Tories. Good job really, they'd be told in no uncertain terms to go and get lost.

[@blackstter6317]

Will Johnny Mercer still have his personal photographer and videographer after he's been booted out?

[@davidnelson7149]

'Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way' Pink Floyd. Time.

[@profdrrameshkumarbiswas1337]

Very close to my own predicions a couple of days ago: Best for Britain are making recommendations in 452 seats recommending with 370 for Labour, 69 for the Lib Dems, seven for the SNP, three for the Greens and two for Plaid Cymru.

[@JonathanCheeseman]

'Moral' or 'morale'? 'pressure amounts' or 'pressure mounts'?

[@tgraham1347]

Didn't press him on anything there. Made up lies about labour and they call him honest. Shocking journalism

[@TelfordO]

He seems to have forgotten the last 14 yrs raids on Tax its the highest tax burden in 70 yrs..

[@user-il6ei6vl3o]

Veteran are still homeless, what a waste of time mercer has been.

[@monged4life442]

That was his offering to the country? A bill that tells people off if they wear the wrong medals??? And he didn't even manage to get that through parliament in time. What a waste of space, like so many of the hundred ministers the Tories have given us in the last 3 years

[@justinkindleysides1519]

To put this into some kind of perspective, I will need to quote a Simpsons character "HA HA".

[@JohnShaw-zm2pc]

Sunak has got a plan to leave number 10 lol😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@ianworley8169]

It's bizarre to me that they couldn't afford to provide refreshments to journalists at a 4 hour manifesto launch in the middle of nowhere. Yet Sunak's supposedly a near billionaire. Couldn't he at least get some sausage rolls and doughnuts from Greggs? Shambolic.

[@hypsyzygy506]

They could at least have done the manifesto launch at a greasy spoon in East London. Down with the people and an all day breakfast for everyone.

[@TheSuperPsychoKiller]

They F’ed around and found out.

[@rhysepoos]

I assume that was supposed to say 'morale', because Tory morals plummeted a long time ago

[@drummingtildeath]

Tory morals plummeted ages ago but I think you meant morale.

[@greendegenerationx]

Not a tory, probably never a tory. But if they filled their party sith people like Rory Stewart and Jonny Mercer it would give them half a chance. These parody characters and racists like Mogg and Bravermann will render them entirely unelectable. As for truss...😂😂

[@maccagrabme]

The one nation direction is the reason why they are being rejected. Left wing politics does not work in this country.

[@nicholasmurrell7904]

After a lifetime of voting conservative, I am committed to voting AGAINST the Conservative party from now on. I will vote Reform UK or polite spoil my ballot. Then they cannot betray me again.

[@swanvictor887]

a spoiled ballet is a vote for the Tories. If you can't vote Labour (because you haven't got any kind of social conscience) then at least Vote either Reform or Green or Lib Dem....USE YOUR VOTE FFS...millions died in wars to make sure you can!! GET IT??!!

[@crayontom9687]

Spoiling your ballot isn’t a vote against them

[@ArtyFactual_Intelligence]

@@crayontom9687 If you are a former Con voter in a Con seat, then spoiling your ballot imaginatively is a viable option. It'll give a bit of fun to the hard working late night electoral vote counters.

[@_Lancs2024]

I don’t know how Tories can continue to talk about Labour raising or raiding taxes. That is possibly true and i don’t deny that, but they have also raided peoples finances over the years with greater tax burdens. The real people bringing down inflation is us through higher interest rates, mortgages rates etc, freezing of tax thresholds etc- they are all impacting peoples finances.

[@miro_s]

such insistence on taxes starts to annoy me. how much clearer should starmer be about not raising “regular” taxes? of course he can’t promise he won’t raise any form of government revenue for the next 5 years, if nothing else to keep some room for contingencies, and the Tories are not pushed on their un-costed spending plans, and reform is not pushed on anything at all…

[@dextercool]

"positive message" from the Tories?!?!!

[@chrisgrimes1268]

He talks about scrutiny and they are getting a fraction of what even the greens get still

[@drhfuhruhurr4253]

Its tough when you have go grow up without SKY tv

[@Frederick-in2rz]

They'd probably do something for a Veteran that had thr right family and educational credentials, But nothing for an ordinary peasant was an enlisted soldier, sailor or air force type

[@kwccoin3115]

Moral … is it a spelling mistake.

[@CatholicSatan]

Written as this twice though, so no, just ignorance.

[@MKHNitro]

Mercer knows what's about to happen - his heart isnt in it any more

[@WIlfredWibbles]

Do you mean Morale ? Is this really the best The Times can do ? I mean, yes, Tory Morals are plummeting and always do, but...

[@nautilusshell4969]

Darling Johnny, even if you get booted out, you CAN go back to doing Dove television ads.

[@andrewwrench1959]

The honours system is corrupt from head to toe. Even when it is not the direct return of a favour one can see the political calculation.

[@jonathanokeefe9783]

Johnny and Flic out there, fighting on the streets, s*****g on the lawns... Definitely, staying up for his defenestration.

[@davidbettney785]

As a veteran, I too have no idea what the government has done for veterans (of course, nobody in their right mind would want Labour anywhere near veterans) but the Tories have done zero :(

[@johnhodgetts2111]

I really hope he loses. He said 'I m proud of what we've done. Really?' As for veterans, his government (like most to be fair) don't give a toss about them. The Times seems to want to portray the Tory's failure on Sunak's poor performance rather than 14 years of this neo liberal nonsense consisting of cash for the wealthy and public service cuts and wage stagnation for others.

[@johnbriggs3916]

Never mind 10-20,000 CCHQ need to concentrate their resources on seats where the majority is over 20,000 -- anything below that is already lost.

[@jamesdunn8968]

We are all voting Green in Norwich. They got in at the last local elections.❎❎❎❎

[@CodeCancerLab]

I hope if labour gets in and that's a big if they make politics kinder and more decent but I can only hope.

[@melgrant7404]

Not that big an if.im sure they will get in.

[@daydays12]

Hope is important to enable us to go on living.

[@MontyCantsin5]

What do you that’s a ‘big if’? Labour are certain to win.

[@maccagrabme]

They certainly wont, both of these two parties are too big for their boots and need their vote share spread out. Bliar and Brown government were hopeless and the main reason why we've have to suffer 14 years under this lot and a decade of austerity as there was no opposition so this is why we need much smaller parties so we can boot them out more easily if not delivering results. Beware of letting Labour gain too many seats as you wont be able to get rid of them if you dont like how things are going, if you want the Tories gone for good vote Reform, you will still have your Labour party in power but have more control at the ballot box.

[@daviddunmore8415]

Tories think that 'Ethics' is that county to the eatht of London.

[@richardruff8712]

I thee what you are thaying... Ethics is between Suffolk and Kent....

[@rossmurray6849]

Running short of money only half-way through a campaign is ominous for the Tories. Parties typically spend most heavily in the final week of a campaign because they figure that many voters will remain tuned out to politics until just before the day of the vote.

[@adill375]

The natural cycle of life, you get stronger and stronger then you start to get weaker and weaker then you know the rest…

[@andylloydradio]

Nobody else going to say that it’s ‘morale’ and not ‘moral’? Asking for a friend with a dictionary.

[@mccoomer]

Excellent interview. Asked tough questions and actually allowed the man to answer. If Labour is the answer, then the question must be which party will increase your personal taxes by billions?

[@hypsyzygy506]

Tories have done that, so obviously the Conservatives see a continuation of that as the way forward.

[@rosbiffy]

Their morals have always been in the basement: their morale has joined them.

[@harveybrown37]

Bye Bye Tories! It's been horrible knowing you

[@thehealinggame]

He couldn't even bring himself to say the D-DAY DODGER was wrong to abandon our old age veterans early on the beaches of France at the recent commemoration

[@freakydeaky1435]

"moral"? Well, literacy has certainly plummeted.

[@stephenphilbin3919]

There is simply no point to the _"Conservative"_ Party. They've consistently demonstrated that they'll do literally anything to avoid doing what voters vote for.

[@geezerbutler4582]

His body language contradicts what he is saying He looks really uncomfortable

[@craig3420]

Mercer is 17 points behind yet thinks hes going to win...ffs..hes despised..his own leaflets like other tories not putting tory on it..ffs vote every tory out

[@ArtyFactual_Intelligence]

No sand left in the egg timer.

[@interloper8029]

Must be frustrating when your work gets overshadowed by the mistakes and misconduct of those further up the Party chain of command...

[@tomthumb2361]

What can the Tories say they have done? Tory MPs inhabit an alternative universe.

[@marvinc9994]

"Moral plummets"...? Well, _morale_ seems to be dropping, to be sure!

[@McDuff1]

Don't see any vote Tory posters outside homes this election.

[@richardruff8712]

Yes, many people are saying the same.... Guess they know the ' game is up '...

[@pj1471]

Tories still do not get it! Self pity is not a good look, nor is self delusion.

[@tommymorrison6478]

This is Sunak's great test. Will he measure up, endure, provide leadership in this worst of times, or will he crumble and be the spoilt brat that his background would seem to indicate? In this context the political outcome is of no consequence.

[@owendallison6913]

Things in the manifesto that veterans have campaigned on for 30 years. You were in power for 14 of them! Why wait till now?