Heseltine predicts election in two years

THE CONSERVATIVE Government will face a general election in about two years’ time, former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine has predicted.

And the Conservative peer warned that by this point, Theresa May’s administration will be “torn apart by leadership speculation and the growing clarity of our weakness in the Brexit talks”.

He warned that a shift in public mood on Brexit could leave the Conservatives “holding the baby” as the electorate demands continued EU membership.

It should be “alarming” to the Tory leadership that young people joining the electoral roll each year could be worth 1,000 extra votes against Brexit in every constituency, he said.

Downing Street declined to respond to Lord Heseltine’s comments, which come after reports that 15 Conservative MPs may be ready to sign a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister – well short of the 48 required to trigger a leadership contest.

Meanwhile, Mrs May was given strong backing by the secretary of the influential 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, who said she would have the support of MPs and peers if she chose to sack Cabinet members who leaked against her.

Nigel Evans said the “men in grey suits” had told the PM that it was “time perhaps for them to go if they carry on with their antics”. And he told BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour: “It’s not just Tory backbenchers who’ve been coming up to me and saying we’ve had enough of this... People back in my constituency say this should not happen. I spoke to the Association of Conservative Peers the other day and they said ‘Please tell Theresa May she has our support as well’.

“So we’ll back the Prime Minister.”