Ms Perry O’Neill, who campaigned for Remain in the 2016 referendum, suggested strained relations with Europe were also behind her decision to quit.
My former party’s often cavalier approach to business and academia, coupled with a post-Brexit reluctance to engage strategically with our European neighbors, has undermined our ability to deliver the energy system we need. affected,” she said.
“A complete reset of our domestic and international relations, aimed at calm, competent cooperation, is urgently needed.”
Ms Perry-O’Neill praised Sir Keir, the Labor leader, and expressed confidence that he would provide “sober, fact-based, competent political leadership”. Labour’s policy on the green energy transition “looks exciting and can only help the UK take advantage of the economic opportunity,” she added.
The comments will concern Tory strategists as Ms Perry O’Neill was once regarded as one of the party’s rising centrist stars and was at the forefront of a new cohort of ‘iron ladies’ during the David Cameron era.
Her comments came after a Monday night poll showed Labor now leading the Tories by 22 per cent, while Sunak’s personal ratings suffered. The survey, for Redfield and Wilton Strategies, had Sir Keir’s party at 48 percent, with the Conservatives at 26 percent.
More worryingly for the prime minister, his net approval rating has fallen by seven per cent to -11 in a week, while the percentage of voters saying the government is incompetent has reached 49 per cent, the highest level since mid-November. .