Top Tory urges Sunak to go, warning party faces ‘massacre’ at polls
SIR Simon Clarke last night called on the Tory Party to sack Rishi Sunak for his “uninspiring leadership” as Prime Minister.
The senior MP says the Conservatives are facing an “election massacre” if the former Chancellor remains at the helm.
Sir Simon, a key ally of Mr Sunak’s predecessor Liz Truss, launched a blistering attack by referring to Mr Sunak as going “from asset to an anchor”.
He said: “It is now beyond doubt that whilst the Prime Minister is far from solely responsible for our present predicament, his uninspiring leadership is the main obstacle to our recovery.
Catastrophe
“Rishi Sunak has sadly gone from asset to anchor. He lags Keir Starmer – himself no Tony Blair – by double digits on the ‘Best Prime Minister’ metric.”
Sir Simon pointed to a recent poll showing a 1997-style wipeout for the Tories.
He wrote in a newspaper article: “The unvarnished truth is that Rishi Sunak is leading the Conservatives into an election where we will be massacred.
“Denial of impending catastrophe is an extraordinarily powerful human instinct.”
The former Cabinet minister called on other Tory MPs to follow his lead and demand a change at the top, adding: “Every Conservative MP will need to live with the decision they make in the coming days for the rest of their lives.We have a clear choice. Stick with Rishi Sunak, take the inevitable electoral consequences and give the Left a blank cheque to change Britain as they see fit.
“Or we can change leader, and give our country and party a fighting chance.”
The move comes after rebel MPs last week defied party whips to demand the PM toughen up his flagship immigration policies.
But former Home Secretary Priti Patel called for the Tory Party to “unite and get on with the job”. She said: “At this critical time for our country, our party must focus on the people we serve and deliver for the country. Engaging in such facile and divisive self-indulgence only serves our opponents.”
James Daly MP, a member of the New Conservatives group, agreed with Ms Patel and defended Mr Sunak. He posted on X: “This is absolute nonsense.
“The Conservative Party must unite behind the Prime Minister – to stop the boats, continue levelling up our country and ensure equal opportunity for all.
“Everything else is selfindulgence of the highest order.” Liam Fox MP also blasted Sir Simon and said: “Those who have an agenda to destabilise the Government in an election year should understand the consequences. Having been on the front bench for 13 years in opposition,
it is a miserable place.”