By Lucy Ashton
Senior Tories have sought to downplay reports that some Conservative MPs are plotting to replace Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister with Penny Mordaunt before the general election.
Conservative former minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns, who has publicly backed installing a new leader before the nation goes to the polls, denied that right-wing Tory MPs were coalescing around Ms Mordaunt.
She was the Lady with the Sword who walked prominently in the procession at the coronation of King Charles in Westminster Abbey.
Ms Jenkyns tweeted: “Interesting to hear lots of media reporting of centre-right Conservative MPs pushing for a certain leadership candidate to replace Rishi.
“Having spoken with lots of my colleagues, no one seems to have heard or been pushing for such a thing!”
But a No 10 source said: “The PM is focused on delivering on his plan to build a brighter Britain.
“The plan is starting to work with inflation down, mortgages down, wages up, the economy forecast to grow and the boats down by a third. But there’s more to be done – that’s what the PM is concentrating on. In contrast Sir Keir Starmer has no plan and would take us back to square one.”
The febrile mood within Mr Sunak’s ranks came as he ruled out holding a general election on May 2 to coincide with local elections, having previously indicated he will send the country to the polls in the latter half of 2024.
A growing list of Tory MPs have announced their exit from Parliament, with armed forces minister James Heappey, ex-party chairman Sir Brandon Lewis and former prime minister Theresa May some of the most recent additions.
More than 60 Conservatives have so far said they do not plan to run, prompting Sir Ed Davey to accuse many of “running away from the Liberal Democrats because they know that we can beat them in those seats”.
Speaking to the PA news agency ahead of his party’s spring conference in York, the Lib Dem leader expressed optimism about nabbing Conservative constituencies “across the south west of England and across the whole blue wall where it’s a Liberal Democrat-Conservative fight”.
“The response we’re getting is phenomenal. Lifelong Conservatives switching to the Liberal Democrats, which gives us great, great belief that we can beat many Conservative MPs whenever the election comes,” he said.