Inside the year in UK politics: Rishi Sunak’s gaffe-filled 2023 as Boris Johnson quits in a strop

One thing that can said for 2023 was at least there was only one Prime Minister. After the unprecedented chaos of 2022, which saw Boris Johnson[1] and Liz Truss[2] brought down by their own failings, some might have hoped for calmer waters under Rishi Sunak[3]. The Prime Minister started the year with optimism, promising to “stop the boats”, stabilise the economy and get NHS[4] waiting lists under control.

But as the year draws to a close, millions of people are stuck waiting for treatment, the cost of living crisis is still piling misery on Brits – and the only people Mr Sunak has managed to send to Rwanda are a string of Home Secretaries. Labour[5] are still way ahead in the polls and the path to victory at a general election[6] is narrowing. While the Tories managed to avoid chucking out another leader, there were enough resignations, reshuffles, U-turns and gaffes to keep us hooked on the soap opera of British politics. As the country braces for a general election in 2025, we look back on a year which has paved the way for the triumphs – and disasters – to come.

It wasn’t a vintage year for Boris Johnson (GETTY)

January

Rishi Sunak[7] and Keir Starmer[8] kicked off the year by giving big speeches from venues only metres apart in east London.

The PM tried to reboot the crisis-hit Government with five pledges – to stop the boats, bring down NHS waiting lists, grow the economy, halve inflation and reduce national debt. Meanwhile, Mr Starmer promised a “decade of national renewal” in an optimistic speech where he vowed to end an era of “sticking plaster politics” under the Tories. The PM sought to turn around his flagging poll ratings by handing out GBP2.1billion in Levelling Up funds – but faced a backlash for pumping the cash into the south of England and his own seat.

In an embarrassing gaffe, the PM was fined by the police for failing to wear a seatbelt in the back of a moving car in a social media clip touting the policy. It’s the second fixed penalty notice he has received while in Government – after getting a Partygate fine for attending Boris Johnson’s birthday gathering in 2020. And in more misery for the PM, he was forced to sack Tory Chairman Nadhim Zahawi[9] after it emerged that he had settled a multi-million tax dispute – including a penalty – with HMRC while he was Chancellor last year.

A probe was launched into claims BBC[10] chairman Richard Sharp helped Boris Johnson guarantee a loan of up to GBP800,000 – weeks before he was recommended for the job by the then-PM. And North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen was suspended by the Tories for comparing the Covid vaccine to the Holocaust in a tweet.

February

Unapologetic ex-PM Liz Truss returned to the fray with a 4,000-word gripe in the Sunday Telegraph, where she sought to blame the left-wing establishment for the economic chaos she unleashed in No10. Mr Sunak performed a minor reshuffle and created a new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and a Department for Business and Trade.

Loudmouth backbencher Lee Anderson was made Deputy Chairman of the Tory party and immediately hit headlines after an interview aired where he said he supported the death penalty. Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said she would step down at the next election. Labour leader Keir Starmer unveiled his five “missions” for Government – growth, NHS improvements, justice reform, making Britain a “clean energy superpower” and raising education standards.

He said his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn[11] would not stand as a candidate for the party at the next election. Labour held onto West Lancashire with a 10% swing in the first of several by-elections. NHS staff including nurses and ambulance workers, as well as teachers went on strike over pay.

Nicola Sturgeon stunned Scotland[12] by saying she would stand down as First Minister and SNP[13] leader, triggering a bitter leadership contest. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky[14] urged the UK to provide “wings for freedom” fighter jets in a stirring address to Parliament. Tributes poured in to Betty Boothroyd, the first female Commons Speaker, who died aged 93-years-old.

Mr Sunak won positive headlines by signing a breakthrough deal with the EU after months of wrangling. The Windsor Framework was designed to fix trading issues thrown up by the Northern Ireland Protocol, which was part of Boris Johnson’s Brexit[15] pact. But he also came under pressure to sack Deputy PM and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab[16] over a slew of bullying claims.

Reality star Matt Hancock faced embarrassment when his Covid-era WhatsApp messages were made public (Channel 4)

March

Jeremy Hunt[17] announced a massive expansion of free childcare in his first Budget[18] as he sought to prevent a Tory wipeout at the next election.

But Mr Sunak came under fire[19] for failing to mention his wife’s shares in a firm that benefitted from the announcement. The mega-rich PM finally published his tax return, showing his income totalled over GBP1.9million in the financial year 2021-22 – with a tax bill of GBP432,493. Boris Johnson’s Partygate hangover continued as the Commons Privileges Committee said he may have misled Parliament multiple times.

MPs also published bombshell evidence showing No10 aides panicking about the Mirror’s queries on lockdown boozing – and the warnings to Mr Johnson that were ignored. The ex-PM admitted he may have misled MPs but insisted he did it unintentionally during a tetchy four-hour grilling by the Committee. Elsewhere, his nemesis, Partygate investigator Sue Gray, was hired by Keir Starmer as his chief of staff.

Ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s Covid-era WhatsApps were published by the Telegraph after he shared them with Isabel Oakeshott during work on his pandemic diaries. Home Secretary Suella Braverman[20] introduced the Illegal Migration Bill to crack down on small boat arrivals. Gary Lineker[21] branded it “an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the ’30s”. He was taken off air by the BBC, prompting a revolt among other presenters.

Nicola Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell resigned as SNP chief executive after a row over party membership numbers. Humza Yousaf succeeded Ms Sturgeon as First Minister and SNP leader.

April

Dominic Raab resigned after a bullying probe found he’d acted in an “intimidating” and “aggressive” way towards civil servants. He was succeeded as Deputy PM by Oliver Dowden, and as Justice Secretary by Alex Chalk.

The Government confirmed plans to house asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm mega-barge moored off Portland, Dorset. The Illegal Migration Bill passed its final House of Commons[22] stage. Tory scandals continued to pile up as Blackpool South MP Scott Benton lost the whip for reportedly offering to lobby ministers on behalf of the gambling industry.

North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen was expelled by the Conservatives for his comments about the Covid vaccine and was also found to have breached Parliament’s lobbying rules. The SNP went into meltdown when ex-Chief Executive – and Nicola Sturgeon’s husband – Peter Murrell was arrested as part of a probe into the party’s finances. SNP Treasurer Colin Beattie was also arrested and later resigned his post.

Both men were released without charge. Labour sparked a row with a punchy social media advert claiming Rishi Sunak did not want to jail people convicted of child sex offences. Veteran MP Diane Abbott[23] lost the party whip after writing a letter to the Observer where she appeared to downplay racism suffered by Irish people, Jews and Travellers.

BBC chairman Richard Sharp quit after breaching rules on public appointments by failing to declare his links to a GBP800,000 loan made to Boris Johnson.

Ex-BBC chairman Richard Sharp quit after failing to declare he’d helped arrange a loan for Boris Johnson (BBC)

May

The Tories faced a local elections drubbing, losing more than 1,000 councillors and control of 40 local authorities. Keir Starmer declared Labour was on the path to power, telling activists “you blew the doors off”. Around 14,000 voters were denied a vote as they didn’t have the right ID under new rules.

In Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein became the largest party in local government for the first time. Tory MP Penny Mordaunt[24] stole the show at Coronation, bearing the Sword of State and presenting the Jewelled Sword of Offering to King Charles. The former Tory leadership hope was the first woman to carry out the task in her role as Lord President of the Council.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman was caught up in a major row after reports she asked officials to arrange a private speed awareness course to avoid a speeding fine. Her team wrongly denied to the Mirror that she had been caught driving too fast last summer. She was fined and given points on her licence.

Boris Johnson was referred to the police over new claims he broke lockdown rules revealed in his ministerial diary. Disgraced ex-Tory Andrew Bridgen became the first Reclaim MP after defecting to the party.

June

The Government launched a legal challenge against the Covid Inquiry[25] over its demand for unredacted WhatsApps. Boris Johnson said he would hand over his messages – but only from May 2021 onwards as he couldn’t access WhatsApps from an old phone.

MPs voted to suspend Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP Margaret Ferrier for travelling across the country with Covid – triggering a by-election in her seat. The Green Party’s sole MP – and former leader – Caroline Lucas said she would stand down at the next election. Nadine Dorries said she would step down as an MP in a fury after being denied a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours.

Mr Johnson’s list was published soon after, with honours for pals and cronies like Jacob Rees-Mogg[26] and Priti Patel[27]. Mr Johnson dramatically quit as an MP ahead of the publication of the Privileges Committee’s Partygate report, branding it a “kangaroo court”. The MPs concluded he deliberately misled Parliament and proposed a mammoth 90-day suspension.

Johnson ally Nigel Adams also stepped down, triggering another by-election in Selby and Ainsty. Separately, David Warburton resigned as MP for Somerton and Frome following a suspension from the Tory party over allegations of sexual misconduct.

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The Mirror published bombshell footage of Tory staff dancing and drinking at a lockdown “jingle and mingle” party in December 2020. Elsewhere, the Privileges Committee named 10 Tory MPs who it accused of trying to interfere in its Partygate investigation, including Nadine Dorries, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Priti Patel.

Court of Appeal judges ruled the Rwanda deportation scheme was unlawful in a major blow to Rishi Sunak. Nicola Sturgeon was arrested as part of the police probe into SNP finances. She was released without charge.

Tory mayoral candidate Daniel Korski withdrew from the race to take on Labour’s Sadiq Khan[28] for London Mayor after he was accused of groping a journalist when he worked in No10. Labour watered down it’s ambition to spend GBP28bn-a-year investing in green energy projects. Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves[29] said it might not be reached until the second half of the next Parliament.

July

The Metropolitan Police reopened its investigation into the lockdown-busting “jingle and mingle” Christmas party at Tory HQ after the Mirror published bombshell footage of the bash.

Police also said they would probe a lockdown birthday party for Baroness Ann Jenkin, wife of Tory Sir Bernard Jenkin, who was a member of the committee probing Boris Johnson’s Partygate lies. MPs backed an eight-week Commons ban for ex-Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher after a probe into groping allegations. Anger at the handling of the complaints against him was a tipping point in Boris Johnson’s downfall.

US President Joe Biden[30] jetted into the UK for talks with Rishi Sunak and met King Charles at Windsor Castle. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace[31] said he would quit the Cabinet at the next reshuffle – and stand down as an MP at the next election. Keir Starmer triggered anger in Labour ranks by refusing to scrap the Tory two-child benefit cap.

North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll quit the party after being blocked from standing as Labour’s candidate for a newly created North East Mayor role. Nigel Farage[32] went on a rampage after his Coutts bank account was closed down. He won an apology from the BBC and NatWest chief Dame Alison Rose over a story saying his account was shuttered because he didn’t have enough money.

Labour and the Lib Dems[33] seized a seat each off the Tories in a trio of by-elections. But the Conservatives clung on in Boris Johnson’s old seat of Uxbridge and West Ruislip, with anger at the expansion of London’s low emission zone blamed for the result.

Greenpeace activists scaled Rishi Sunak’s Yorkshire mansion

August

Greenpeace campaigners scaled the roof of Rishi Sunak’s North Yorkshire home after he jetted off to California for a summer break. MOD data revealed Mr Sunak had taken more domestic flights than any of his three predecessors as Prime Minister.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn suggested he could run as an independent candidate to be Mayor of London. Nadine Dorries finally resigned as MP for Mid Bedfordshire after clinging on for 12 weeks from when she said she would go. Rishi Sunak carried out a mini reshuffle, bringing in Grant Shapps[34] to replace Ben Wallace as Defence Secretary.

Claire Coutinho replaced Mr Shapps as Energy Secretary – making her the first member of the 2019 intake of Tory MPs to get a Cabinet job. Schools, nurseries and colleges were plunged into chaos when the Government ordered them to close all areas containing dodgy concrete immediately. The order came only days before the start of term.

September

Rishi Sunak’s director of communications Amber de Botton resigned after less than a year in the job.

Keir Starmer performed a reshuffle, promoting Blairites like Pat McFadden and Hilary Benn and demoting soft-left MPs Lisa Nandy and Jon Ashworth. His deputy Angela Rayner[35] consolidated her position by coming Shadow Levelling Up Secretary and Shadow Deputy PM. The school concrete crisis heaped pressure on ministers.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan apologised after she was caught on camera ranting that everyone had “sat on their a****” and she should be praised for doing a “f***ing good job. Former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson was ordered to apologise for sending sweary texts to a Tory whip complaining about not being invited to the Queen’s state funeral. Tamworth MP Chris Pincher lost his appeal against an eight-week suspension for groping allegations.

He resigned soon after, triggering a by-election. A Tory researcher was arrested on suspicion of spying for China[36], sending Westminster into uproar. Tory MP Tobias Ellwood resigned as Chair of the Commons Defence Committee after posting a video on Twitter[37] praising the Taliban.

Parliament’s Standards watchdog found Rishi Sunak “inadvertently” broke the MPs code of conduct by failing to declare his wife’s financial interest in a childminding company. Reports began to emerge that Mr Sunak was plotting to scrap the northern leg of the HS2 rail line. Tory MPs complained to the party whips over a “poisonous” immigration speech by Suella Braverman.

The Home Secretary said some refugees try to “game the system” by pretending to be gay.

Tory rabble-rouser Suella Braverman was rarely far from controversy (UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Imag)

October

Conservative conference was overshadowed by a furious row over the future of the northern leg of HS2. Rishi Sunak finally confirmed he was axing it in a keynote speech, where he also vowed to scrap A-Levels and incrementally raise the smoking age until its banned completely. Home Secretary Suella Braverman gave a divisive speech, warning of a “hurricane” of migration.

Tory London Assembly member Andrew Boff was ejected for heckling during her speech. Labour won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election in a boost to the party’s fortunes in Scotland. Keir Starmer’s buoyant Labour conference speech was interrupted by a protester who covered him in glitter.

Hamas militants mounted an unprecedented attack on Israel from Gaza on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking some 240 people hostage. It triggered a deadly response from Israel, with more than 20,000 people killed in Gaza to date through air strikes and a ground offensive. Rishi Sunak visited Israel as part of diplomatic efforts to prevent the conflict escalating across the Middle East.

He gave a joint press conference with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and later met Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas. Keir Starmer came under intense pressure from within his party to call for a ceasefire. Police issued 24 fines for the lockdown-busting Christmas party at Tory HQ in 2020, after the Mirror published footage of the event.

Conservative MP Peter Bone was suspended from Parliament and the Tory party over bullying claims. Labour won two major by-election victories triggered by the resignations of Nadine Dorries and Chris Pincher. Parliament was prorogued ahead of the State Opening of Parliament.

Conservative MP Peter Bone was suspended following bullying claims (Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

November

Rishi Sunak hosted a global AI safety summit at Bletchley Park.

Tory MP Bob Stewart was fined for a racially aggravated public order offence after telling an activist to “go back to Bahrain”. He later surrendered the Tory whip voluntarily. King Charles presided over the State Opening of Parliament.

Dozens of Labour councillors quit in protest over Keir Starmer’s stance on Gaza. Eight frontbenchers, including Jess Phillips, resigned in a major rebellion over a vote for a ceasefire. Home Secretary Suella Braverman sparked a backlash with an article accusing the police of being biased in favour of pro-Palestinian protesters.

She was sacked days later in a Cabinet reshuffle where Rishi Sunak stunned Westminster by bringing back David Cameron[38] as Foreign Secretary. He was made Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton in order to serve in Government. The Government’s Rwanda deportation scheme was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court.

New Home Secretary James Cleverly was accused of privately calling the policy “bats***”. He was also accused of calling Stockton a “s***hole” during a fiery PMQs[39] session but insisted he’d in fact said the Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham was a “s***” MP. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered his Autumn Statement, with a cut to National Insurance alongside boosts to benefits and pensions, and a freeze on alcohol duty.

But the small print revealed the tax burden remains at a record high and many Brits will still be worse off. The Covid Inquiry delivered plenty of drama, with box office hearings from Dominic Cummings[40], Matt Hancock[41] and a string of aides and senior officials that lifted the lid on the chaos in Downing Street during the pandemic. Rishi Sunak caused a major diplomatic incident by cancelling talks with Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the last minute in a row over the Elgin Marbles.

December

Keir Starmer sparked anger in the Labour movement for saying ex-Tory PM Margaret Thatcher had brought about “meaningful change”.

Welsh Labour leader Mark Drakeford said announced his resignation and said he would step down as First Minister when a successor was appointed. The Tories desperately tried to revive the Rwanda deportation scheme by signing a new treaty with Kigali and drawing up legislation to rule it is a safe country. Home Office Minister Robert Jenrick resigned, saying the Bill didn’t go far enough.

But Tory rebels – who dubbed themselves the “five families” in a nod to the US mafia – capitulated at the eleventh hour and abstained rather than voting down the legislation. Baroness Mone finally admitted she lied to journalists about her links to PPE Medpro, a company that won GBP202million of Government contracts. She also admitted she benefitted from the deal, which raked in GBP60million in profits.

Boris Johnson finally appeared at the Covid Inquiry where he was booed by bereaved families during two-days of bombshell testimony. Rishi Sunak also faced questions from the probe about his controversial Eat Out to Help Out scheme. Disgraced ex-Tory Peter Bone lost a recall petition, triggering a by-election in Wellingborough in the New Year.

Blackpool South MP Scott Benton was handed a 35-day Commons ban for reportedly offering to lobby ministers on behalf of the gambling industry. He has said he will appeal the decision. And in a Christmas[42] nightmare for Mr Sunak, the Sunday Mirror revealed that Home Secretary James Cleverly joked about giving his wife a date-rape drug at a Downing Street reception.

The PM stood by Mr Cleverly – but for how long?

Join our FREE Mirror politics WhatsApp community for all the latest from Westminster[43]

References

1. ^ Boris Johnson (www.mirror.co.uk)
2. ^ Liz Truss (www.mirror.co.uk)
3. ^ Rishi Sunak (www.mirror.co.uk)
4. ^ NHS (www.mirror.co.uk)
5. ^ Labour (www.mirror.co.uk)
6. ^ general election (www.mirror.co.uk)
7. ^ Rishi Sunak (www.mirror.co.uk)
8. ^ Keir Starmer (www.mirror.co.uk)
9. ^ Nadhim Zahawi (www.mirror.co.uk)
10. ^ BBC (www.mirror.co.uk)
11. ^ Jeremy Corbyn (www.mirror.co.uk)
12. ^ Scotland (www.mirror.co.uk)
13. ^ SNP (www.mirror.co.uk)
14. ^ Volodymyr Zelensky (www.mirror.co.uk)
15. ^ Brexit (www.mirror.co.uk)
16. ^ Dominic Raab (www.mirror.co.uk)
17. ^ Jeremy Hunt (www.mirror.co.uk)
18. ^ Budget (www.mirror.co.uk)
19. ^ fire (www.mirror.co.uk)
20. ^ Suella Braverman (www.mirror.co.uk)
21. ^ Gary Lineker (www.mirror.co.uk)
22. ^ House of Commons (www.mirror.co.uk)
23. ^ Diane Abbott (www.mirror.co.uk)
24. ^ Penny Mordaunt (www.mirror.co.uk)
25. ^ Covid Inquiry (www.mirror.co.uk)
26. ^ Jacob Rees-Mogg (www.mirror.co.uk)
27. ^ Priti Patel (www.mirror.co.uk)
28. ^ Sadiq Khan (www.mirror.co.uk)
29. ^ Rachel Reeves (www.mirror.co.uk)
30. ^ Joe Biden (www.mirror.co.uk)
31. ^ Ben Wallace (www.mirror.co.uk)
32. ^ Nigel Farage (www.mirror.co.uk)
33. ^ Lib Dems (www.mirror.co.uk)
34. ^ Grant Shapps (www.mirror.co.uk)
35. ^ Angela Rayner (www.mirror.co.uk)
36. ^ China (www.mirror.co.uk)
37. ^ Twitter (www.mirror.co.uk)
38. ^ David Cameron (www.mirror.co.uk)
39. ^ PMQs (www.mirror.co.uk)
40. ^ Dominic Cummings (www.mirror.co.uk)
41. ^ Matt Hancock (www.mirror.co.uk)
42. ^ Christmas (www.mirror.co.uk)
43. ^ Join our FREE Mirror politics WhatsApp community for all the latest from Westminster (www.mirror.co.uk)