A new Tory civil war erupted today after a top ally of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson called for Rishi Sunak to be sacked and replaced.
Former cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke said the Conservatives would be “massacred” at the coming election unless the party has a new leader.
But supporters of the PM, who warned Sir Simon was further damaging the party, said it was the latest evidence of a carefully planned right-wing plot against him.
Senior Tory lashed out at Sir Simon for “silly” and “facile” move against Mr Sunak – with on minister telling him to “get a f***ing grip”.
The outspoken Mr Clarke – from the cabinet when Mr Sunak entered No 10 – was levelling up secretary in Ms Truss’ Cabinet and awarded a knighthood by Mr Johnson.
Sir Simon Clarke is leading calls for a new leader of the Conservative party
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Tory loyalists said the orchestrated campaign to remove Mr Sunak included:
- A controversial poll last week organised by ex-Brexit minister Lord Frost which claimed the Conservatives faced a landslide election defeat.
- Lord Frost has refused to name shadowy Tory donors who paid for the survey in the right-wing Telegraph newspaper.
- Sir Simon and fellow Sunak critic Jacob Rees-Mogg have joined a new group, Popular Conservatism, set up by Ms Truss.
- The moves were timed to coincide with the Tory revolt, in which Sir Simon played a key role, against the PM’s Rwanda bill.
- Johnson cheerleader Nadine Dorries greeted news of a possible leadership challenge to Sunak with a three-word post on ‘X’: ‘And we’re off.’
Writing in the DailyTelegraph, Sir Simon dubbed Mr Sunak’s leadership “uninspiring” and said he was “the main obstacle to our recovery”.
“The unvarnished truth is that Rishi Sunak is leading the Conservatives into an election where we will be massacred,” he wrote.
His comments follow a series of difficult polling results for the Conservatives, including a YouGov analysis last Monday that predicted the Tories were on course for a 1997-style wipe out, retaining as few as 169 seats.
Next to Mr Clarke’s op-ed last night was yet another YouGov opinion poll, this time showing that the public overwhelmingly supported Keir Starmer over Rishi Sunak as prime minister.
But allies of Mr Sunak are now suggesting this is an orchestrated campaign to remove their leader from post before the next election.
Former minister Lord Frost has commissioned a series of polls that have predicted crushing defeats for the Tories
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Critics were quick to notice that this survey was commissioned by the very same group that funded last week’s poll, a group of shadowy Tory donors – known solely as the Conservative Britain Alliance – led by the long-standing Sunak critic Lord Frost.
The polling company behind last week’s research were forced to defend themselves this morning, admitting on BBC Radio 4 Today programme that Lord Frost was the man fronting the campaign, but also denied that the construction of the questions were designed to produce a particular set of results.
Yesterday’s poll asked if voters preferred Labour leader Keir Starmer or a “new Tory leader who was stronger on crime and migration, who cut taxes and got NHS waiting lists down”. Critics say this was bound to generate negative responses against the incumbent prime minister.
It comes as Ms Truss is set to launch another Tory faction. Popular Conservatism – set up by disgraced former PM and backed by Sir Simon and fellow Sunak critic Jacob Rees-Mogg – aims to deliver “popular” Tory policies.
Simon Clarke was big backer of Liz Truss
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It’s official launch is expected to be a conference-style event on 6 February in a bid to shape the Tory general election manifesto.
Loyal Conservative MPs have rallied around the PM. Senior Conservatives said Mr Clarke had “lost his senses”. According to one report, one called Sir Simon a “self indulgent tosser”.
Former Tory minister Sir David Davis called his intervention “silly”. And Priti Patel, the right-wing former home secretary, said: “Engaging in facile and divisive self-indulgence only serves our opponents.”
Former trade secretary Sir Liam Fox said those attempting to “destabilise the government in an election year should understand the consequences”.
And former defence secretary Ben Wallace dismissed Sir Simon’s call to oust Mr Sunak as “wrong” – saying “division and another PM would lead to the certain loss of power”.
Tory minister Andrew Bowie said “get a f***ing grip” in response to Mr Clarke’s call in a WhatsApp group, according to The Times. Andrew Percy MP added: “FFS!”
Senior Tory MP Tobias Ellwood also lashed out at Sir Simon. The moderate accused the Truss loyalist of “throwing his teddies in the corner” because “his choice of prime minister is no longer in No 10”.
Home secretary James Cleverly said it was “foolish” for Mr Clarke to indulge in infighting. He told reporters: “I could not disagree with him more on this particular issue. If we were to do something as foolish as have an internal argument at this stage, all it would do is open the door for Keir Starmer.”
Business minister Kevin Hollinrake admitted some “panic” in the Tory ranks was behind Sir Simon Clarke’s call for a new Tory leader. He told Times Radio: “Of course, some people panic at a difficult time. This is not the overwhelming view of the party.”
Though a number have come out publicly fighting for the prime minister, some Tory sources suggest that there is a silent yet significant group who support Mr Clarke’s comments – and the next few days will see a flurry of no-confidence letters submitted to the 1922 committee.
The question remains: who would replace Mr Sunak? Johnson acolyte, Nadine Dorries, suggested last week that the foreign secretary, David Cameron, is the most likely to return to 10 Downing Street.
Simon Clarke with Rishi Sunak during visit to University of Leeds
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When rumours of Mr Clarke’s op-ed started circulating late last night, Ms Dorries posted on X: “And we’re off” – signalling her view that a plot to oust Sunak and replace him as leader was in the works.
Others have suggested that some MPs have still not come to terms with the resignation of Ms Truss or Mr Johnson, who were forced to resign in quick succession following a series of scandals and blunders.
Then there are a number of new names for the leadership. Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick has been rumoured to be eyeing up a bid, as has his long-standing friend and former home secretary Suella Braverman.
But there are many within the party who say any new leader would severely undermine the authority of the Conservative party – and the public may never forgive yet another leadership election.
All of this follows the most testing week of Mr Sunak’s premiership, where he managed to stave off a right-wing rebellion on his flagship Rwanda legislation.
Sixty conservative MPs signed rebel amendments to Mr Sunak’s legislation, and although they did not pass, the two days of public infighting were a serious blow to the prime minister’s authority.
