Rishi Sunak has stoked anger on the right of the Conservative Party by sacking Suella Braverman, as one of his MPs formally called for his departure as the Prime Minister.
Deputy Tory chairman Lee Anderson was among hardline MPs at a meeting in Parliament on Monday where concerns were shared about Mrs Braverman’s ousting as home secretary.
Former minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns submitted a furious letter of no confidence in Mr Sunak to the Tory backbench 1922 Committee during his Cabinet reshuffle.
She argued that Mrs Braverman “was the only person in the cabinet with the balls to speak the truth of the appalling state of our streets and a two-tier policing system that leaves Jewish community in fear for their lives and safety”.
“If it wasn’t bad enough that we have a party leader that the party members rejected, the polls demonstrate that the public reject him, and I am in full agreement. It is time for Rishi Sunak to go,” the MP added.
The split on the Tory benches was demonstrated by public rowing, with Tim Loughton taking aim online at Ms Jenkyns, a staunch ally of Boris Johnson.
“Where can we submit a letter of no confidence in the Pantomime Dame?” he said.
The letter Dame Andrea sent to the committee does not in itself threaten to provoke a vote of no confidence in the Conservative leader, as the threshold stands at 15% of sitting Tory MPs. But No 10 will be wary of more to come.
Around 12 Conservative MPs including former Cabinet minister Simon Clarke attended in person at the New Conservatives grouping led by Danny Kruger and Miriam Cates.
Mrs Braverman’s close ally Sir John Hayes joined them, as did Mr Anderson, who had publicly backed the sacked home secretary over her allegations of police bias.
The deputy chairman said she was “guilty of saying what most of us are thinking and saying”, adding: “Thank goodness we have a Home Secretary who refuses to be cancelled.”
One member at the meeting told PA news agency the group was “far from pleased”. But they indicated none of the members were planning to imminently submit letters.
