The Conservatives would do even worse at the next General Election with a new leader, according to former defence secretary Michael Portillo.
He also said that the party is heading for a “minimum” of ten years in opposition.
The GB News presenter said: “The Tories might be stuck with Rishi and if they decide to have a leadership election in my view they would do even worse than sticking with Rishi.”
Asked about Kemi Badenoch rejecting suggestions that she could be the new leader, he told Camilla Tominey: “Well, of course she doesn't want to.
“I can't understand she’d want to lead the Tories after defeat either for that matter, because if the Tories are reduced to a rump, they won't be back at the following election, they won't be able to back within five years.
“They'll be out for ten years minimum. Who wants to be the leader of the Conservative Party after this defeat? It will be in opposition, it will be a rump and irrelevant.
“No one will want to listen to a word that the leader says and that leader will lose the following election, in my view, and therefore it's not a position that anyone should want to hold.”
On MPs who believe that the Tories need a period in opposition to re-group, he said: “They are going to have a period in opposition but they need to recognise that it probably won't be five years, it will be more.”
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