'Febrile' plotting in Westminster to replace Liz Truss

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak has spoken to leadership rival Penny Mordaunt with prime minister's position still under threat, The National can disclose

British Prime Minister Liz Truss Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng chat at the opening session of Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham last week. Mr Kwarteng was sacked on Friday and Ms Truss is under real pressure to stay in post. EPAShow less

Britain's former chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has spoken with Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt with a view to form a new government if Prime Minister Liz Truss is ousted, Conservative Party sources have told The National.

Mr Sunak also held meetings with his former special advisers at his constituency in Richmond last week, potentially for leadership planning, it can be disclosed.

The National can also report that any leadership contest will probably be held with a “very high entry bar”, with candidates requiring the support of between 50 and 60 MPs to enter the race.

But there is also discussion, should Ms Truss be pushed out of office, for a caretaker prime minister to be appointed for three months to allow time for a more considered leadership contest.

The sources also disclosed that Conservative MPs’ WhatsApp groups are ablaze with plotting, including intense debate about Mr Sunak, who came second to Ms Truss in last month’s leadership race.

“Rishi met with his Spads [special advisers] in Richmond a week ago, so he’s obviously in the planning phase,” a Westminster source said. “Rishi also briefly talked to Penny Mordaunt. As a result, she is now regarded as a ‘flight risk’ on resigning from government.”

A former minister said that the 1922 Backbench Committee, that oversees elections, could change the rules to set the bar at 50 MP supporters to speed up a “coronation” for the new leader.

“This will slash it right down to a couple of contenders. What we really want is a tsunami of support for a single ticket that will ease the pain and we do have to have an election because that person needs a mandate.”

Jeremy Hunt, a moderate Conservative, is the new British chancellor after Kwasi Kwarteng was sacked following his mini-budget that caused market chaos. AFP

A backbench MP said: “We do not want a debilitating, drawn-out election with the membership, so it will essentially have to be a coronation.”

It is still uncertain if Mr Sunak would unite with Ms Mordaunt, although they would prove a powerful force as more than two thirds of MPs voted for them in the summer leadership contest.

But others say it is still uncertain if Mr Sunak would automatically be chosen after the ill-feeling he caused by hastening Boris Johnson’s end when he resigned as chancellor in July.

Other MPs believe that another “clean pair of hands” candidate could emerge, potentially untainted by association with Ms Truss and regarded as sensible. Names put forward include the new chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, Grant Shapps, the respected former transport secretary, Tom Tugendhat, the security minister and Kit Malthouse, the current education secretary.

With Mr Kwarteng sacked it is a question of whether “he takes Liz down with him” the backbencher said.

“There’s lots of WhatsApps going around saying that she’s got to go, it’s meltdown and hysteria. Some say it’s probably best to keep her on as PM but she’s so toxic, her polling numbers are shocking. There’s lots of febrile stuff but the problem is there’s no focus.”

Britain's Prime Minister Liz Truss during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons in London, addressing Parliament for the first time since abandoning her disastrous tax-slashing economic policies. Here, 'The National' looks at her time in power so far. AFP

Liz Truss speaks to Grant Shapps at Downing Street as he is appointed Home Secretary, after the resignation of Suella Braverman. Photo: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

A mural by artist Ciaran Gallagher in Belfast is updated to reflect Liz Truss's current political troubles. PA

Britain's new Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt announcing tax and spending measures at the House of Commons in London, with Liz Truss sitting on the bench behind him. AFP

Liz Truss gives a speech after sacking Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor of the exchequer. Reuters

A protest by climate change group Extinction Rebellion in central London. Ms Truss has said the group is part of an 'anti-growth coalition' with trade unions and the main opposition Labour Party. AFP

Ms Truss has come under increasing pressure during her short time as prime minister. AFP

An Extinction Rebellion protest outside Downing Street on the day Mr Kwarteng was removed from the government. AP

Ms Truss with members of the England women's football team and the European Championship trophy in Teddington, south-west London. Getty

Ms Truss arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community at Prague Castle in the Czech Republic. AP

Ms Truss and her husband Hugh O'Leary wave after her keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. AP

Liz Truss gives a speech at the Conservative Party Conference. EPA

Ms Truss meets with Mr Kwarteng, chancellor of the exchequer at the time. Photo: Andrew Parsons / CCHQ

Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham. AFP

Ms Truss meets US President Joe Biden for talks at the UN headquarters in New York. PA

Ms Truss delivers a speech at the 77th session of the General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York. AP

The British prime minister holds a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York. Reuters

Ms Truss meets French President Emmanuel Macron at the UN headquarters in New York. Reuters

Ms Truss speaks to the media during her visit to the Empire State building in New York. AP

Britain's new leader speaks during the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey, London. PA

Ms Truss and her husband Hugh O'Leary observe a minute's silence at Number 10 Downing Street following the death of the queen. Reuters

Britain's Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and Ms Truss leave after a service for the reception of Queen Elizabeth's coffin at Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster. AFP

Ms Truss joins the Speaker Lindsay Hoyle and selected MPs to take the oath and swear allegiance to King Charles III in the House of Commons chamber. PA

King Charles during his first audience with Ms Truss at Buckingham Palace, London, following the death of Queen Elizabeth. Getty Images

Ms Truss gives a reading during a service of prayer and reflection, following the passing of Queen Elizabeth, at St Paul's Cathedral in London. Getty Images

The British prime minister makes a statement outside 10 Downing Street in London following the queen's death. Bloomberg

Ms Truss speaking during her first weekly Prime Minister's Questions session at the House of Commons in London. AFP

Front pages of a selection of British national newspapers, each leading with a story about Ms Truss becoming Britain's new prime minister. AFP

People walk past an image in central London of Ms Truss on the side of a protest bus calling for a citizens' assembly. Reuters

Ms Truss holds her first Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street. Reuters

Ms Truss speaks at Downing Street on the day she took over as prime minister from Boris Johnson. EPA

Ms Truss poses with her husband Hugh O'Leary at Downing Street before entering as prime minister for the first time. EPA

Ms Truss is welcomed by staff in Downing Street as she enters the famous prime ministerial offices for the first time. Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street

New Health Secretary Therese Coffey and Number 10 staff shelter from a downpour as they wait for Ms Truss to arrive in Downing Street. PA

Liz Truss makes a speech outside 10 Downing Street, London, after meeting Queen Elizabeth II and accepting her invitation to become prime minister and form a new government. PA

Queen Elizabeth II greets the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party, Ms Truss, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The queen invited Ms Truss to become prime minister and form a new government. Getty Images

The former minister said: “There will be plotting over this weekend but it’s a question of whether or not Rishi breaks cover. He might be marmite to some but his economic policies have certainly been vindicated.”

While it is unclear whether Mr Sunak will come forward as a leadership contender, Ms Truss's authority appears to be evaporating.

“How will she stand up at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday after she has trashed her own economic policy?” the backbench MP said. “You could get a move on her at that point but they will have to move fast as there really is not much time to repair the roof before the next election. It’s all grim, grim, grim with no great solution.”

It was accepted that the expected U-turn on corporation tax might “save her until Christmas”, but if Ms Truss’s polling remained poor then she would be gone by the new year.

MPs are also angry that the Downing Street operation was still lacklustre, being run by young and inexperienced staffers.

“Number 10 is manned by children, bar Mark Fullbrook [chief of staff] who’s never worked in a government job and has a few outstanding issues,” the former minister said. “They are under-gunned in Downing Street and no one knows what’s going on.”

Whoever is prime minister in 2023 know sit will be an immense challenge to defeat Sir Keir Starmer’s resurgent Labour Party at the next general election, to be held before January 2025.

“Whoever that might be, it’s possible but unlikely they might win the election, there’s just too many hard facts against us,” the backbencher said.