The definition of rhetoric I am using is "the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the exploitation of figures of speech and other compositional techniques."

Rhetoric can be an observation as well. You are using rhetoric to communicate your observation. I can appreciate that you have slightly misinterpreted my meaning, so hopefully this clarifies it.

To someone without substantial knowledge of British Politics I can certainly appreciate that observation. However, I would argue from the position of one who closely follows and actively takes part I argue that those Tories have for the last nine years supported a party that has allowed tens of thousands of avoidable deaths (BMJ open 2017, Grover 2018 and UN Report 2018) for ideological reasons (Blythe, 2013). Those 80 Tories have stood by and watched their government trample over the rule of law and engage in what can only be desribed as totalitarian behaviour (by shutting down parliament you shut down checks on the government, which increases the power of the government).

Think of them as the Republicans in the senate who wring their hands, send thoughts and prayers and ultimately do nothing.