Rishi Sunak’s position as UK Prime Minister has been defended by Downing Street, following calls for him to step down from former cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke. Sir Simon has warned that the party risks being “massacred” in the next general election if Mr Sunak remains in his leadership role. However, the prime minister’s press secretary argued that Sir Simon’s views were not shared by most Tory MPs, and a number of senior Tories criticised his call for Mr Sunak to be ousted.
Former Home Secretary Priti Patel dismissed it as “facile and divisive self-indulgence”, while Sir David Davis accused MPs of putting their own leadership ambitions ahead of the country’s best interests. Tory MP Lee Anderson, who had previously joined Sir Simon in rebelling over the Rwanda Bill, urged his colleagues to support Mr Sunak, arguing that keeping him in power was the only chance for the party to win the next election.
The Conservatives continue to trail behind Labour in the polls, leading many Tory MPs to become increasingly concerned about the party’s future prospects. However, Home Secretary James Cleverly defended Mr Sunak’s leadership, claiming that he was succeeding in his attempts to reduce inflation and tackle illegal immigration. Mr Cleverly warned that any internal arguments would only open the door for Keir Starmer and further harm the party’s chances.
Sir Simon is the second former minister to call for Mr Sunak to step down, after Dame Andrea Jenkyns submitted a letter of no confidence in the prime minister in November. However, to trigger a leadership election, 53 MPs must submit their request to the chairman of the 1922 Committee, followed by a vote of a majority of Tory MPs in a secret ballot.
Despite increasing criticism of Mr Sunak’s leadership style, it seems unlikely that he will be ousted from his position prior to the next general election, which is expected to take place in the second half of this year
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More