Rishi Sunak is set to come under further pressure from Tory rebels who have reportedly drawn up policy ideas to launch in a blitz over the next 100 days.
The prime minister is facing a tough week of local elections following the news that MP Dr Dan Poulter left the Conservative Party on Sunday in favour of Labour.
According to The Times, the unnamed Tories are set to champion ‘quick-win and red meat’ policies with the aim of ousting Mr Sunak ahead of the general election - and then winning No 10 with a new leader.
Some Tory rightwingers see Penny Mordaunt as a possible replacement for Rishi Sunak ahead of the election, however she has distanced herself from any potential coup against him.
Mr Sunak has not ruled out a July election but no date has yet been set.
For a vote of no confidence to be held, there would need to be at least 52 letters sent against his future.
Labour hold a significant lead in the national polls and the Tories could also see their vote share squeezed by the right wing Reform party, which now counts controversial MP Lee Anderson as a member.
An unnamed Tory MP told the Times: “My concern is that we don’t have a significant response to Reform.
“We have a leader who is ill-suited to appealing to voters in the Red Wall. He is seen as an out of touch multi-millionaire who doesn’t share their instincts. If we lose Tees Valley it will be beyond diabolical.”
Another Tory rebel told the Sunday Telegraph: “The reality is that we are facing an extinction-level event. It’s for colleagues to decide if they want to go down with the ship.”
Mr Sunak has not commented on the speculation.
Dr Poulter said of his decision to leave: “We now have a Tory party that resembles a bit more of a nationalist national party rather than a party of the centre right.
“I feel changes to the Labour party made since 2019 under Keir Starmer are the srot of things that will make a big difference.”
The Conservative Party hit back that he was “wrong” to say only the opposition could improve the health service.
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick told BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday that “Dan is wrong on the facts” and any “suggestion we don’t care about NHS is just plain wrong”.
