In a surprising turn of events, it has come to light that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did not cast his vote in favor of the Conservative candidate Susan Hall, who faced defeat against Sadiq Khan

in the recent London Mayoral Elections.

Why Rishi Sunak Didn't Support Susan Hall? This revelation emerged after Downing Street initially kept mum about Sunak's voting intentions, leaving a veil of mystery over his participation. However, thanks to a scoop from The Independent's Political Editor, the truth has surfaced.

According to Team Sunak, the Prime Minister indeed participated in the elections but opted to extend his support to Keane Duncan in the York and North Yorkshire Mayoral Elections. Sunak cast his vote by post, precluding his ability to back Hall.

The optics surrounding this decision are less than favorable. Susan Hall's campaign drew criticism for its perceived negativity, particularly from Sadiq Khan. Ultimately, Hall fell short by approximately 275,000 votes against the Labour incumbent.

PM's Support for Another Losing Candidate Moreover, there was a minor 3.2% swing from Tory to Labour voters compared to the previous election. Khan secured victory with an 11-percentage-point lead, indicating that Sunak's hypothetical vote switch would have made minimal difference.

Nevertheless, Sunak's decision to throw his weight behind Duncan up north didn't yield success either. Labour's David Skaith defeated Duncan, marking a significant win—right in Sunak's home turf.

These recent events have undoubtedly rattled Conservative headquarters. Nearly 500 of their councillors were ousted during the Local Elections, signaling a shift towards alternative parties among voters. This doesn't bode well for the Tories, especially with a looming General Election on the horizon. Photo by Prime Minister’s Office, Wikimedia commons.