Minister seeks to quash rumors of plot to oust Rishi Sunak

The transport secretary insists Rishi Sunak will lead the Conservatives into the next general election amid reports of a plot to overthrow the prime minister.

Mark Harper has dismissed speculation that some Tory rebels want Commons leader Penny Mordaunt to replace the prime minister.

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Asked at Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips If Mr Sunak will remain leader at the next election, Mr Harper said: “Yes, he will.

“He will lead us into the election and he will make it very clear that we are a government with a plan.”

Asked about rumors about Ms Mordaunt, he said his colleagues should focus on what was “good for the country”.

“This is also the approach taken by the prime minister,” he added.

“He’s focused on making the right decisions, even if they’re not necessarily popular in the short term. … I’m confident those decisions will pay off.”

Replacing Sunak will involve appointing the country’s sixth prime minister since the 2010 election and the third who will not participate in the vote.

Ms Mordaunt herself dismissed speculation that she was involved in a plot to become the next Tory leader, telling Sky News’s political editor Beth Rigby the idea was “nonsense” and “the public was uncomfortable with these stories.” Quite tired.”

One of her supporters also called the reports “fabricated briefings.”

There has long been speculation about Sunak’s stance, with the Conservatives trailing Labor by around 20 points in opinion polls and many senior MPs at risk of losing their seats.

Reports in the Mail and Telegraph over the weekend suggested the party’s right-wing MPs met with moderates this week to discuss uniting support for Ms Mordaunt if the prime minister faced a vote of no confidence.

It comes after a difficult fortnight for Mr Sunak, who was reportedly criticized for his handling of racist comments. provided by major political party donors, and Lee Anderson’s defection – Mr Sunak promoted him to deputy chair of the Conservative – right-wing populist Reform UK party.

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Some Conservatives are also angry at the lack of giveaways Jeremy Hunt’s budgetsaid he should cut income tax rather than National Insurance.

May election rumors ‘nonsense’

Shadow treasurer Jonathan Ashworth said Sunak could personally quell rumors of a leadership change if he fixed a date for the general election.

He told Sky News: “There were Conservative MPs in the newspapers today saying Rishi Sunak couldn’t go on.

“This is no longer in the national interest. It is irresponsible. We need stability in this country.”

“He can stabilize the situation by making phone calls to set a date for the general election. Otherwise, I fear we could have a Conservative leadership election before the general election.”

The latest date for the next election is January 2025, although Mr Sunak said his “working assumption” was that he would hold one in the second half of this year.

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Conservative MPs nervous

Labor MP calls PM a ‘chicken’ Ruling out the possibility of holding an election on May 2to coincide with local elections.

Some experts speculate Mr Sunak may move ahead of schedule to avoid upending his plans, reaping any benefits from the spring budget and avoiding an increase in Channel crossings over the summer.

However, Mr Harper said reports of a possible snap election in May were “nonsense”.

“The Prime Minister made it clear at the beginning of the year that his working assumption was that the election would be held by the end of the year.

“So, frankly, all this bubble talk we had about the May election was nonsense, and he made that clear at the beginning of the year.”