Tory plotters say it would have been a ‘kamikaze mission’ to carry on their war on Rishi Sunak
TORY PLOTTERS say they would have been on a “kamikaze mission” if they carried on their war on Rishi Sunak.
Rebels admitted that Conservative MPs were not willing to “pull the trigger” despite grim local election results.
They threw in the towel after Ben Houchen was reelected the Tees Valley Mayor in a crucial victory for the Tories.
A rebel source told The Sun on Sunday: “It would have been a kamikaze mission to carry on after six months of fighting.
“The results gave the PM just enough breathing space and meant the MPs weren’t willing to pull the trigger.
“Now it’s for Rishi and his team to own the election result – good luck with that.”
After many months of plotting and bitter briefing, No10 reckons the moment of gravest danger for Rishi has now passed.
Deputy PM Oliver Dowden said the Tories are now uniting behind the PM.
Speaking exclusively to the Sun on Sunday, he said: “The settled will of the Conservative Party is that Rishi Sunak will be leading us into the next election.
“He has got a clear plan, he has got the energy, he has got the vision. We all need to pull behind him.”
Downing Street breathed a massive sigh of relief after the long anticipated coup fizzled out.
One senior government source said: “We were at our most vulnerable this weekend and they haven’t done anything.”
Rebels called time on their plot and headed off to the pub for a pint on Friday afternoon after grumbling Tory MPs decided they could not face another leadership challenge.
Senior government figures reckon Cabinet ministers who have been on manoeuvres – including Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps – will now pipe down.
A senior Tory MP said: “Penny and the like will probably quieten down now and get behind the main man.”
Grim-faced Conservatives are gloomy about their chances of winning the next election after suffering an avalanche of bruising defeats in the local elections.
But they think another leadership contest before the next election will only damage their chances of getting voted back into No10 even further.