Rishi Sunak mount a fightback today saying he is ‘not interested’ in Westminster plotting – as allies upped the stakes by warning he will call an election if mutinous Tories try to oust him.
The PM used a seven-minute speech in the Midlands to insist the country is ‘turning the corner’, before taking questions from business leaders and reiterating his desire to cut national insurance.
The bullish stance came after Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch used a round of interviews this morning to dismiss the growing frenzy at Westminster as ‘trivia’, saying it is being drive by a tiny minority of MPs.
But storm clouds have been gathering over amid the row over allegedly racist comments by a Tory donor, and the lacklustre response to the Budget.
Penny Mordaunt is facing huge pressure publicly to kill off rumours that she is being lined up as a replacement for Mr Sunak, with long-standing suspicions in No10 that the Commons Leader is ‘on manoeuvres’.
A Downing Street insider this morning played down Ms Mordaunt not appearing in public, saying Ms Badenoch was already slated to do media and the government is ‘cracking on’. They swiped that Tories fuelling speculation had ‘too much time on their hands’.
Rishi Sunak is mounting a fightback today as allies up the stakes by warning he will call an election if mutinous Tories try to oust him
Penny Mordaunt is facing huge pressure publicly to kill off rumours that she is being lined up as a replacement for Mr Sunak, with long-standing suspicions in No10 that the Commons Leader is ‘on manoeuvres’
In a round of interviews this morning, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch dismissed the growing frenzy at Westminster as ‘trivia’, saying it is being drive by a tiny minority of MPs
At his speech in Warwickshire, Mr Sunak said the ‘backdrop’ was that ‘after a tough couple of years, we’re now pointing in the right direction and that actually gives me a lot of confidence for the future’.
Asked why he did not let one of his ‘disloyal colleagues’ have the ‘poisoned chalice’ of being PM, Mr Sunak said: ‘I’m not interested in all Westminster politics. It doesn’t matter.
‘What matters is the future of our country. And that’s what I am squarely focused on.
‘That’s what I get up every morning, working as hard as I can, to deliver – whether it’s cutting people’s taxes, increasing the state pension… today increasing the number of apprenticeships and talking to small businesses.
‘Those are the things that matter to people. And as we have seen over the last few weeks, our plan is working. Inflation is coming down, wages are growing and the economy is back to growing again.’
Pushed by broadcasters on why he could not get his MPs to ‘shut up’ about the leadership, Mr Sunak said: ‘All Conservatives are united in wanting to deliver a brighter future for our country.’
The PM today unveiled plans to boost apprenticeships, including £60million funding and cuts to red tape to make it easier for small firms to take on trainees.
He also made the case that the Government’s economic plan is starting to bear fruit – and urge both the public and his colleagues to stick with it.
He pointed out that inflation has fallen sharply – with new figures on Wednesday set to show a further slowing in price rises – and that real wages are rising, with government action set to give the average worker £900 in tax cuts and boost the state pension by £900 next month.
Ms Badenoch seemed to highlight Ms Mordaunt’s silence as she appeared on BBC Breakfast.
‘I’m sure if Penny was here, she would be distancing herself from those comments,’ she said.
‘I have been saying for a long time that the small minority of MPs who think that this is something to be talking about should stop it. We have local elections, people need to know what the Government and local government has been doing for them.
‘But I also know that the Prime Minister has seen this happen many times before — people used to put out similar rumours about other candidates for many years. It is just part and parcel of politics.
‘I am very happy to be with him this morning, we work well together, I will be supporting him today. I don’t think that there is very much to these rumours. It is almost the same thing we have been reading week after week for the last two years.
‘And we need to make sure that one or two MPs cannot dominate the news narrative when 350-plus MPs have different views.’
Mr Sunak moved to rule out a May election last week. But the local and mayoral elections on May 2 are still seen as the potential moment of greatest danger for the premier.
And a senior ally of the PM raised the prospect that he could call a snap election if there is a bid to oust him, telling The Times: ‘You don’t get to achieve the things he’s done without some steel. He’s not just going to roll over.
‘People should be careful what they wish for. If they don’t want an election they should stop messing about. Rishi could easily say ‘OK, if that’s the mood of the party I don’t think it’s fair to put it to another leadership contest’. He can say reasonably he might just go to the Palace instead.’
Some wags on Tory WhatsApp groups have been sharing images of Alan Partridge launching his ‘bouncing back’ memoir
Tory alarm is mounting as Mr Sunak’s efforts to narrow Labour’s huge advantage in the polls have so far failed
The Mail revealed at the weekend that Tory MPs on the Right of the party held secret talks with moderates last week about the possibility of burying their differences to unite behind Ms Mordaunt.
In a further blow to No 10, The Mail on Sunday yesterday revealed dire private polling suggesting that the Conservatives are on course for their worst election defeat in history and could be reduced to fewer than 150 seats.
In this scenario, Ms Mordaunt’s Portsmouth North seat would be among the casualties, prompting one rebel source to observe: ‘She’s got nothing to lose.’
Friends of the Commons leader insisted she had played ‘no part’ in stoking speculation that she was ready to take over from Mr Sunak in a ‘coronation’ by Conservative MPs.
One supporter urged her to distance herself from the plot, saying: ‘Penny would be great, but we should not be looking to change leader now – the public just would not put up with it.’
Allies of the PM believe Ms Mordaunt is being used as a ‘stalking horse’ to persuade Tory moderates to submit letters of no-confidence in the PM.