Rishi Sunak set to STAY ON as leader if Tories lose election as cabinet ministers keen to avoid 'bitter infighting' and chaos
Sunak is expected to stay on as leader if the Tories lose, in a bid to avoid in-fighting within the party
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Rishi Sunak is expected to stay on as Tory leader if he loses the election in a bid to stop “bitter fighting” within the Conservatives.
Cabinet ministers have appealed to the Prime Minister to stay on until September in order to minimise further chaos within the party amid a likely Labour victory.
Sources close to Sunak have alleged that he will do “whatever is needed of him by the party” to ensure “consistency and stability”, dispelling rumours that he could be tempted to leave immediately after a disappointing election campaign.
If he were to remain in charge of the Tory party, then Sunak would have to continue attending Prime Minister’s Questions - but this time from the opposition bench.
Sunak is expected to stay on as leader if the Tories lose, in a bid to avoid in-fighting within the partyPA“It’s an excruciating and humiliating thing for a defeated party leader to have to go through,” one veteran Tory MP said.
“If he called this election because he’d had enough, he won’t take kindly to being asked to stay on.”
Another cabinet minister told the Times: “We are seeking to persuade Rishi and his team to stay on and provide some continuity.
“We want him to, at the very least, do what Michael Howard did in 2005, and remain in place until the leadership election is complete.
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If he were to remain in charge of the Tory party, then Sunak would have to continue attending Prime Minister’s Questions
PA“Once we get through election day, that will be communicated to him very clearly. We don't want him to do a David Cameron.”
In 2016, Cameron quit abruptly as PM just hours after losing the EU referendum, shocking many colleagues who did not expect him to leave the position.
Sunak’s potential cling to power comes as Suella Braverman told her party that they must “read the writing on the wall” and “prepare for the reality and frustration of opposition”.
She called on her fellow Conservatives to concentrate on fighting “for the soul” of the party and said they need to reconnect with right voters.
In 2016, Cameron quit abruptly as PM just hours after losing the EU referendum
PAIf polling is correct, many prominent MPs and potential successors to Sunak are set to lose their seats, including Penny Mourdant, Grant Shapps, and Robert Jenrick.
Remaining in the running are Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Priti Patel, Tom Tugendhat, and Victoria Atkins, who are all expected to hold onto their seats.