Brexit is the only big legacy of the 2019-24 parliament
An abrupt election crimps the Tories’ already-slim legislative record
Rishi Sunak’s plan to introduce a phased ban on smoking always had the look of a last-ditch effort to secure a legacy. It was apposite, then, that in hurrying towards a snap election the prime minister accidentally stubbed out his own ground-breaking law (which could not be passed in the “wash-up” period after Mr Sunak announced the election on May 22nd and before Parliament dissolved). No matter. The lesson voters should take, Mr Sunak insisted brightly at a campaign event on May 27th, is that “I was the prime minister that put that bold policy on the table”.
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Limitations of statute”
Britain June 1st 2024
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- Sir Keir Starmer meets the public. Sort of
- Brexit is the only big legacy of the 2019-24 parliament
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- Footballer, broadcaster, podcast mogul: the career of Gary Lineker
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From the June 1st 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
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The best British companies to work for to get ahead
A new ranking of firms by pay, promotions and hiring practices
How the best British employers find and promote their staff
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A tiny island fights the scourge of plastic on the beach
A Northern Irish experiment in recycling
A sticking-plaster policy for Britain’s strained courts
Magistrates get more power. Will they get punch-drunk on it?