Tory crisis as 'half a dozen MPs to submit letters of no confidence in PM today'
Half a dozen Tory MPs are preparing to submit letters of no confidence in Rishi Sunak TODAY after Suella Braverman's blistering attack.
The claim from Dame Andrea Jenkyns came around an hour after the Supreme Court ruled the the PM's flagship Rwanda asylum plan is unlawful in a major blow. Last night the sacked Home Secretary Ms Braverman also accused Mr Sunak of "betrayal" in a personal attack on his "weak" leadership of the country.
The three-page letter said: "Your plan is not working, we have endured record election defeats, your resets have failed and we are running out of time."
Speaking on GB News on Wednesday, former minister Dame Andrea said: "After Suella's letter yesterday, I spoke to several colleagues and I know six who have said to me they are putting letters in today. They seem quite adamant to me."
Pressed on whether the answer is to topple yet another PM after the party removed both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, she replied: "I know - I've really wrestled with this. I've had lots of constituents contact me who are really frustrated." And she admitted: "We could look very stupid toppling another leader but I think we've got to bite the bullet now".
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She also raised the prospect of backing Dame Priti Patel, the former Home Secretary during Boris Johnson's tenure, if she ran in a leadership contest to replace Mr Sunak.
Dame Andrea revealed earlier this week she had submitted her own letter of no confidence to the chairman of the Tories' 1922 Committee of backbench MPs. In her letter she said: "Enough is enough. If it wasn't bad enough that we have a party leader that the members rejected, the polls demonstrate that the public reject him, and I am in full agreement. It is time for Rishi Sunak to go."
She is the first Tory MP to publicly announce she has submitted a no confidence letter to the Prime Minister - and urged other Conservative MPs to "follow suit". Under the party's rules at least 15% of the parliamentary party - over 50 MPs - must submit a letter to 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady to start the firing gun on a possible leadership challenge.
Appearing on Sky News after the Supreme Court ruling, former Tory Cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke also delivered a warning to the embattled Prime Minister. Asked if he could send a letter of no confidence if Mr Sunak does not announce he’s withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights, Sir Simon said: “It is a confidence issue in his judgement and leadership of the Conservative Party - but I don’t want us to go there.”
Ms Braverman's explosive attack on the PM in her letter on Tuesday has opened up a gaping chasm in the Tory Party as the PM grapples to maintain order. Supporters of the former Home Secretary, who was finally sacked on Monday, have rallied round while the ex-Tory minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said Ms Braverman's rage reflected the "sulphurous" mood on the backbenches.
And it is claimed No10 faces a "grid of s***" in the coming days amid anger from the right-wing of the party. But elsewhere MPs have hit back at her, branding her blistering letter "unforgivable", while Tory grandee Lord Michael Howard said the Government is "better off without her".
Tory WhatsApp groups have been ablaze with bitter clashes since Ms Braverman shared her letter, which said Mr Sunak had "manifestly and repeatedly failed to deliver" all his key policies. One Tory MP has already publicly declared she has no confidence in Mr Sunak, while plotters will make life miserable for the PM.
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