British PM Rishi Sunak risks losing the support of the majority of his Conservative peers since taking the reins of government 16 months ago, Bloomberg reports.
Recently, there have been secret talks among Cabinet members about possibly kicking Sunak out of 10 Downing Street before the UK general election — which must be held by January 28 next year.
The plot hinges on who could replace Sunak and cut the opposition Labour Party’s 20-point poll lead in a few months, sources acquainted with the matter said.
Two years of soaring inflation and a string of political controversies, including mishandling new tax cut promises and this week’s belated condemnation of racist comments by top Tory party donor Frank Hester, have spurred backroom talks between cabinet members. Some ministers involved in the bargaining still back the PM despite the government’s abysmal polling.
With potential court battles over his Rwandan asylum plan and predictions heavy losses in the May 2 local government elections, ministers fear Sunak may be unable to stand the heat and will resign, like his predecessors Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
Some MPs accuse Downing Street will threatening a snap May election in a bid to keep the party in line, with senior Tory backbencher Graham Brady advising against it, the sources said.
Others want a radical cabinet reshuffle to give new direction and shore up the party's fortunes. Sunak's recent appointments, like bringing anti-Brexit former PM David Cameron to serve as foreign secretary, have angered Tory Eurosceptics and fallen flat with voters who gave the party a landslide majority in 2019 under Brexiteer leader Johnson.
Sunak’s government is only propped up by disagreements among Tory MPs over who should replace him. Various contenders from different factions have emerged, including Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, House of Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt and Defense Secretary Grant Shapps.
Two senior ministers hinted that Sunak might be replaced if one candidate emerged with no serious opposition. With the prospect of suffering serious losses in the council elections similar to last year's, it would be difficult for Sunak to justify carrying on into the general election, one minister told media.
But the Labour Party is also divided over issues including Israel’s war in Palestinian Gaza Strip, which leader Sir Keir Starmer has backed.
Labour is also embroiled in litigation with supporters for former leader Jeremy Corbyn — who Starmer expelled from the party’s Parliamentary group — over a leaked report which showed how party apparatchiks undermined left-winger during his four years in charge.
Starmer also faces criticism over alleged connections to the UK's MI5 intelligence service, with investigative reporting from The Grayzone describing how operatives linked to British secret services sought to undermine and discredit Corbyn.