Tory boss accused of giving up as he makes staggering admission on staff call

08 December 2023 , 16:13

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Tory staff said Stephen Massey's remarks had gone down like a 'lead balloon'

The boss of the Conservatives has been accused of giving up on the election after he admitted he was talking to sister parties around the world on how to bounce back after a crushing loss.

Tory CEO Stephen Massey addressed an all staff call on Friday, which sources said left party workers feeling: “We are f***ed.” The millionaire banker told them that he had been seeking advice from the National Party in New Zealand on how to get back into power after losing badly.

A Tory source said the remarks had gone down like a “lead balloon” as they suggest even those at the top of the party have given up. “People were watching it with their jaws on the floor - the vibe in CCHQ (Conservative Campaign Headquarters) is we are f***ed,” they said.

The National Party won the New Zealand election in October after taking enough seats to form a coalition with its allies on the right wing of politics. The result was a shock for Labour, which under Jacinda Ardern secured an outright majority just three years ago in 2020, which was unheard of under New Zealand's electoral system that includes an element of proportional representation.

The call came as Rishi Sunak struggles to make any progress in reducing Labour’s poll lead, which has remained steady at around 20 percentage points. The PM’s leadership is in turmoil after his close pal Immigration Robert Jenrick quit in a row over the Rwanda migrant deportation scheme.

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Downing Street will spend the weekend twisting the arms of MPs before they vote on Tuesday on emergency legislation they hope will finally get flights off the ground. But they face a fight on two fronts as hardliners claim it is not tough enough, while those on the opposite side of the party are concerned that it could lead to the Government breaching international law.

Amid fevered speculation Mr Sunak could face a move to oust him, the Mirror revealed that rebels believe at least 18 MPs have already put in letters of no confidence. If 53 submit letters then Mr Sunak will face a vote of all Conservative MPs on whether he should remain as party leader and PM. Tory sources believe more frontbenchers could follow Mr Jenrick in resigning.

Mr Massey was appointed to his post after donating £343,000 to the Tories including £25,000 to Mr Sunak’s leadership campaign.

The Conservative Party said in the all-staff call he was making the point of how they could learn lessons from successful sister parties around the world.

John Stevens