Rishi Sunak needs to rally his flagging Conservatives. He hopes a dash of populism will do the trick

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s governing Conservative Party is gathering for its annual conference. And U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces a triple challenge. He has to cheer up a party that’s trailing in opinion polls, sideline rivals who are eyeing his job and persuade the voting public that a party in power for 13 years deserves another term in office. Sunak’s relying on a package of populist measures designed to woo voters. They include slowing moves to phase out fossil fuels that impose costs on individuals. But experts say Sunak will struggle to lead the Conservatives to victory in an election that must be held by the end of 2024.