Liz Truss may have as little as 10 days to salvage her crisis-hit premiership, a former Tory Cabinet Minister has warned.
Grant Shapps said the next few days were the "critical period" for Ms Truss to turn things around as Tory conference descended into open warfare in the wake of the Prime Minister's botched mini-Budget.
The ex-Transport Secretary said jittery Tory MPs who fear defeat at the polls could even "roll the dice" on a new leader - only months after ousting Boris Johnson.
Ms Truss's first party conference as leader has descended into chaos, with senior Tories openly attacking each other and criticising the Government's plans.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman triggered outrage by accusing her own colleagues of mounting a "coup" to force Ms Truss to ditch her plans to cut the 45p top income tax rate for the richest Brits.
Mr Shapps, who backed Rishi Sunak in the leadership race, led calls to reverse the income tax cut which he branded "politically tin eared".
Mr Shapps told The News Agents podcast: "I think if you're honest, the next 10 days is a critical period of time, she's got a conference speech to make after a very difficult few days, she's got the MPs coming back together again for the first time since things became choppy, of course, I mean, it'd be ludicrous to say anything else.
"But is it possible? Yes, it is possible, and I’m cheering her on to do it."
Challenged by presenter Jon Sopel over whether she had 10 days to save her leadership, Mr Shapps said: "There is a limited period of time to turn things around from what's been, you know, a choppy, difficult start.
"I think these next few days, by definition, is obviously the key moment... The next 10 days, of course, is a critical period, that goes without saying. It doesn't mean it's the end moment, one way or the other, it doesn't mean that time will stop after ten days.
"But I think it's really important, if she’s going to turn it around, this is the time to do it."
Asked if the Tories could change leader again, he said: "The question is for Conservative MPs, if they are in any case thinking, ‘well, I'm going to be out at the next election’, then they might as well roll the dice as it were, and elect a new leader."
Ms Truss urged the public to give her until next year to judge her on her record.
Asked by TimesRadio when she should be judged, she said: "What I'm about is first of all helping people get through this very difficult winter of high energy costs - we've already put in place the energy price guarantee.
"Whilst at the same time getting on with getting Britain moving and growing our economy and delivering on new investment, new projects spent in the round, and I'd expect that to happen during 2023."
