A number of Tory MPs have been manoeuvring as it increasingly becomes clear that Sunak is likely to suffer a heavy election defeat and as they prepare to battle for the future direction of the Tory party.
With the general election campaign reaching its final days, amid predictions of a Tory wipeout, some Tories have already turned their attention to life after Sunak.
A number of websites have been registered in the name of Tory MPs, including for Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch.
The Times reports: “The site kemi4leader.com, which redirects to the Conservative Party homepage, was registered in West Yorkshire on April 18.
“A separate one, backingbadenoch.co.uk, was last updated on June 27, and is thought to be a grassroots effort with an accompanying active social media presence. The website used for Kemi Badenoch’s leadership attempt in 2022, kemiforprimeminister.com, no longer exists.
“Suella Braverman set up the suella4leader.co.uk website to promote her campaign in the summer of 2022. The website was last updated on June 10 and sends users directly to Braverman’s personal website.”
That some have already turned their attention to replacing Sunak shows just how convinced they are that the Tories are set to lose.
Both Braverman and Badenoch have denied that the websites had anything to do with them or their team.
A number of Tory MPs have been manoeuvring as it increasingly becomes clear that Sunak is likely to suffer a heavy election defeat and as they prepare to battle for the future direction of the Tory party.
Among those who have refused to rule out a leadership bid is Badenoch, who told GB News: “I said to everyone that I don’t want to talk about leadership debates because my constituents … say they don’t like us talking about ourselves.”
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has said let’s see what happens, while Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker has also said that he will run should he win his seat.
Baker said: “One thing at a time. I want to represent the people of Wycombe the best that I can, as I always have done.
“Then let’s see what happens.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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