Senior Tories fear Rishi Sunak is facing a vicious circle of party ill-discipline, amid concerns that attacks from Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Suella Braverman will signal his inability to restore authority in the months before the general election.
A rebellion this week over his plans to ban smoking is set to be the latest flashpoint, with libertarian MPs, including Truss, preparing to criticise the proposal as a nanny-state measure that is unconservative.
There is already anger among Sunak’s allies at Johnson, who has made a series of criticisms over the past week, despite hopes that the relationship between the two men had thawed.
One said the former prime minister remained a “bitter, twisted and vengeful” figure after Johnson attacked the foreign secretary, David Cameron, for failing to rule out banning arms sales to Israel and described Sunak’s plan for a gradual smoking ban as “absolutely nuts”.
.During an appearance in the US, Johnson also refused to rule out a political comeback and a return to the Commons, only saying he did not think it was likely in “the short term”.
A rebellion this week over his plans to ban smoking is set to be the latest flashpoint, with libertarian MPs, including Truss, preparing to criticise the proposal as a nanny-state measure that is unconservative.
And they said Conservatives were against assisted dying…
Infighting in the Tory party? Say it ain’t so!
“We are going to make sure the man who is obviously going to lose the next election loses the next election, and then take credit for it from our Party, which has just lost the election .
Peak Guardian .
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Senior Tories fear Rishi Sunak is facing a vicious circle of party ill-discipline, amid concerns that attacks from Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Suella Braverman will signal his inability to restore authority in the months before the general election.
A rebellion this week over his plans to ban smoking is set to be the latest flashpoint, with libertarian MPs, including Truss, preparing to criticise the proposal as a nanny-state measure that is unconservative.
Some senior figures hope that the increasing scrutiny on Labour as the election approaches will become a “unifying force” for the Tories, given that only the prospect of Keir Starmer becoming prime minister is potent enough to unite the warring factions.
Sunak is pinning his political hopes on an economic recovery, combined with another round of tax cuts in an autumn statement held shortly before voters are expected to go to the polls.
Inflation figures this week, as well as the expected passing of the Rwanda legislation allowing asylum seekers to be flown to the east African country, could help him start that recovery.
However, the passing of the Rwanda bill brings a potential clash with the European convention on human rights (ECHR) a step closer – and another party split over humanitarian concerns.
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