![Chin Up, Rishi - There Might Still Be Reasons To Be Cheerful](https://cdn.magzter.com/1591272633/1719200974/articles/1xoIp9FZn1719214485434/Rishi-Sunak.jpg)
I know they’re a bunch of mountebanks, cheats and crooks – and occasionally all three can be combined in some of their leading personalities – but at times it feels as though they’re being subjected to a punishment beating.
Obviously, many voters feel betrayed by them, not to mention deceived, and many of their scandals, including the latest insider betting affair, are entirely a result of their own venal natures. But come on. They’re being pulped so hard that there may be nothing left by 5 July. You can hear the desperation in their voices as they implicitly concede defeat and beg to be left with enough MPs to mount a decent opposition to the “socialist oneparty state”.
The quality of mercy is not strained, so I’d like to cheer them up by offering a few reasons for the Tories to be cheerful. Yes, cheerful. After all, things can only get better...
First, forget about Reform UK. They won’t get more votes than you, whatever they say, and they will get only a few MPs. Yes, Nigel Farage will have a base in the Commons, but he’ll make a poor parliamentarian and is far too lazy to take it seriously. He’ll be bored, and he and the rest of his small collection of fruitcakes will argue with each other, drop endless gaffes, and split, as their predecessors in the European parliament did, and as the hard right always do.
They’re a fractious bunch at the best of times, and they’ll be bitterly divided on whether they want to join a changed Tory party, merge with it, or destroy it. Hold your nerve, take them on for a change, and stay focused on the middle ground, and you’ll have a chance of getting back into power in a few years.
Esta historia es de la edición June 24, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 24, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
![A slow train to Manchester](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22095/1753396/iinVwCQ541719982315806/A-SLOW-TRAIN-TO-MANCHESTER.jpg)
A slow train to Manchester
With HS2 firmly on the scrap heap, Simon Calder inspects proposals from companies eager to fill the yawning gap
!['We just want him to stop'](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22095/1753396/2z-QkplHC1719981994409/WE-JUST-WANT-HIM-TO-STOP.jpg)
'We just want him to stop'
Netflix docuseries The Man with 1000 Kids’ explores the case of a sperm donor who was banned from fathering any more children. Two mothers at the centre of the controversy talk to Kevin EG Perry about how their lives were upended
![Keir clocking off wouldn't make him a part-time PM](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22095/1753396/Q1UyslYNA1719981896345/KEIR-CLOCKING-OFF-WOULDNT-MAKE-HIM-A-PARTTIME-PM.jpg)
Keir clocking off wouldn't make him a part-time PM
Is anyone else worried that Keir Starmer is deluding himself? The Labour leader has said that if he makes it to No 10, he hopes to continue his routine of carving out “protected time” to spend with his wife, Victoria, their 16-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter.
![Boulter and Dart advance to set up spicy Battle of Britain](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22095/1753396/GkwLKg7oY1719981658338/BOULTER-AND-DART-ADVANCE-TO-SET-UP-SPICY-BATTLE-OF-BRITAIN.jpg)
Boulter and Dart advance to set up spicy Battle of Britain
With one sweeping backhand passing shot down the line, British No 1 Katie Boulter sauntered through to the second round at Wimbledon yesterday evening.
![Draper marches into void as Murray departs centre stage](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22095/1753396/34C0pVaXx1719981568114/DRAPER-MARCHES-INTO-VOID-AS-MURRAY-DEPARTS-CENTRE-STAGE.jpg)
Draper marches into void as Murray departs centre stage
Under the roof on Centre Court, the symbolism felt a little too obvious.
![Ruthless Gakpo leads the way as Oranje hit top form](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22095/1753396/4bqk8c2J41719981453539/RUTHLESS-GAKPO-LEADS-THE-WAY-AS-ORANJE-HIT-TOP-FORM.jpg)
Ruthless Gakpo leads the way as Oranje hit top form
For the first time in 16 years, the Netherlands have made it through to a European Championship quarter-final, and a showdown with Turkey in Berlin on Saturday.
![Turkey stuns Austria with chaotic but deserved win](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22095/1753396/ThkW_pzrh1719981338571/TURKEY-STUNS-AUSTRIA-WITH-CHAOTIC-BUT-DESERVED-WIN.jpg)
Turkey stuns Austria with chaotic but deserved win
Turkey were supposed to be Euro 2020’s dark horses. Maybe everyone whose predictions looked hideously bad when they crashed out with no points and a lone goal merely got the wrong tournament.
![Foreign judges urged to quit Hong Kong by mogul's son](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22095/1753396/uEyqUvt_m1719981237996/FOREIGN-JUDGES-URGED-TO-QUIT-HONG-KONG-BY-MOGULS-SON.jpg)
Foreign judges urged to quit Hong Kong by mogul's son
The son of media mogul Jimmy Lai has called on all foreign judges to leave Hong Kong’s judicial system, which he claimed pressures them to go along with Beijing’s clampdown on “prodemocracy protesters”.
![Beryl heads towards Jamaica leaving a trail of destruction](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22095/1753396/wdigkSPog1719981155293/BERYL-HEADS-TOWARDS-JAMAICA-LEAVING-A-TRAIL-OF-DESTRUCTION.jpg)
Beryl heads towards Jamaica leaving a trail of destruction
Hurricane Beryl roared through open waters yesterday as a category 5 storm on a path that will take it near Jamaica and the Cayman Islands after earlier making landfall in the southeast Caribbean, killing at least six people.
![Orban to Zelensky: Seek a quick ceasefire with Russia](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22095/1753396/gptnToD7q1719981058341/ORBAN-TO-ZELENSKY-SEEK-A-QUICK-CEASEFIRE-WITH-RUSSIA.jpg)
Orban to Zelensky: Seek a quick ceasefire with Russia
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has urged Ukraine “to consider a quick ceasefire” with Russia during his first visit to the war-torn country since its invasion by Vladimir Putin.