Rebels plot to oust ‘lame horse’ May before Christmas
TORY rebels are plotting to install a new leader by Christmas after Theresa May’s conference speech left MPS concerned for the future of the party.
The Prime Minister had intended to use her speech to relaunch her premiership with a vision of a “new British dream” after a week beset by Cabinet splits.
But one senior minister said Mrs May was now “limping like a broken horse into oblivion” after the string of mishaps, while another revealed MPS were circling in a bid to oust her as soon as possible.
Mrs May was publicly supported by her Cabinet, but privately Tory MPS warned that she was heading for “oblivion” and suggested that her departure may have to be “accelerated”.
Even the Prime Minister’s most loyal allies in Cabinet conceded that she cannot lead the party into the next General Election, despite her claims that she will do so.
The situation has been compared to that faced by Iain Duncan Smith, who was forced out as Conservative leader in 2003 just weeks after making a conference speech that divided the party. Michael Howard then led the party into the next election.
Comparisons to Margaret Thatcher and a stalking horse plot against her have also been made, although a rule change since then means rebels would now need 48 MPS to sign a letter calling for Mrs May to leave or for her to resign.
Mrs Thatcher was forced from office after the backbencher Sir Anthony Meyer was nominated as her replacement in 1989, weakening her position. Although he did not become leader and those leading the charge did not expect him to, it was enough to force her from office the following year.
Former ministers and senior MPS last night warned there could be a new Conservative leader installed by Christmas if the momentum around removing Mrs May results in a challenge, possibly as early as this weekend. Some remained on side, with a handful of
loyal MPS messaging journalists to claim her speech had united the party because people were impressed by her resilience in the face of the mishaps.
But as many as 30 Conservative MPS have reportedly already signed a letter calling on the Prime Minister to resign, but are holding back to allow Mrs May to leave on her own terms.
She is thought to be aware of the group, who have put pressure on her aides to inject enthusiasm and direction into the party amid fears that a strong Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn is gathering pace. A former Conservative minister said: “It’s time to put ourselves out of the agony. The speech was excruciating to watch and as a result, conversations are happening at a faster pace. People had wanted her to go by 2019 but now that could be much sooner.
“There is a concern that there isn’t a real alternative for leader but on the other hand if we get this out of the way now we could have someone new by Christmas.”
They said it would not be surprising if Mrs May was already considering her options, adding: “She looked completely broken when she came offstage.”
A Tory MP drew comparisons to Labour’s “sleepwalk into defeat” under Gordon Brown, and another senior Conservative source said: “The public are far more brutal about these things. They will look at a PM who looks ill, with the stage set falling down. It will compound many of the views that they already have for her. It should be a wake up call.
“There were great policies in her speech, and nobody will be talking about them. We’ve not just been unlucky here, there have been some real failings.”