Plotters are said to be rallying behind Robert Jenrick.
Amid continuing rumours of an impending coup to topple Kemi Badenoch following dire poll ratings and fears that the Tory party is headed for wipeout, allies of the Tory leader have set a deadline for her to turn things around and say she will quit if there’s no progress by then.
Two senior allies of Badenoch say she will resign if the polls fail to improve and the May election results next year are bad for the Tories, the Times reports.
Badenoch has failed to make an impact after the Tories suffered their worst general election defeat in their parliamentary history last year, with dire poll ratings persisting and high profile defections from her party to Reform UK.
The Times also reports that the shadow cabinet is divided over her future and some shadow ministers are so concerned they are considering the “nuclear” option of resigning to trigger a leadership contest.
Plotters are said to be rallying behind Robert Jenrick.
Badenoch may have bought herself some time after announcing policies to appease the Tory right-wing base, including leaving the ECHR, however her allies have said she will quit if things fail to improve.
The paper reports: “Badenoch’s team is aware of the potential moves against her and had been given details of a 14-strong WhatsApp group of Tory MPs who want to oust her. She and her allies are planning a charm offensive in a bid to win them over.
“Two senior allies of Badenoch said that she would resign if the polls fail to improve and the local election results in May next year prove to be a disaster for the Tories. She has repeatedly refused to say whether she would quit in such circumstances.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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