Rishi Sunak has claimed the Tory party is "united" despite months of infighting and a former minister slamming his decision not to attend the COP27 climate conference in Egypt.
The Prime Minister announced he would not fly to Sharm El-Sheikh next month and instead insisted he must focus on the "depressing domestic challenges".
Earlier today former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries took aim at Sunak saying it was "wrong" for him not to address climate issues at the summit. It comes after weeks and months of civil war in the Tory party where they elected Liz Truss as Prime Minister then ousted her within the space of 49 days.
Dorries tweeted: "The Prime Minister is WRONG not to go to COP. Global warming is the biggest crisis facing our planet and net zero creates many 1000s of jobs which is good for the economy."
During a visit to a hospital in south London, the Prime Minister was asked by reporters whether the instability of recent weeks has anything to do with Brexit or whether there was an ongoing "civil war" within the Conservatives.
He said: "I am confident that our party is united. It is united behind delivering on the promise of the manifesto that we were elected on, with very strong support, in 2019.
"What does that manifesto say? It says we want to have a stronger NHS, that we want safer streets, that we want better schools, that we want to protect our borders and that we want to level up the economy across our country.
"That is what unites and excites all Conservatives, that is what excites me, and that is what I want to deliver for the people of this country."
Sunak, who attended COP26 in Glasgow last year, denied his absence at COP27 is a failure of leadership, arguing it is "right" for him to focus on economic challenges at home.
He said he is "really proud" of the UK's record on tackling climate change, particularly with regard to COP - citing the summit in Glasgow last year.
Put to him that Labour has said his non-attendance in Egypt is a "massive failure of leadership", he said: "No. The leadership that we have shown on the climate is unmatched almost along the world."
He added: "It's important to me that as Prime Minister we leave behind an environment that is better for our children and grandchildren. I'm very passionate about that. I'm very personally committed to it.
"I just think, at the moment, it's right that I'm also focusing on the depressing domestic challenges we have with the economy. I think that's what people watching would reasonably expect me to be doing as well."
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