A senior Tory source has claimed that even people in Downing Street “know that it is over” for Rishi Sunak as the Prime Minister appears to have lost control of his MPs.
Mr Sunak is looking at two major rebellions today and has been warned he may need Labour votes to avoid defeat on his sentencing reforms.
Up to 50 Conservative MPs are ready to vote against his plans to raise the age of smoking to ban it for future generations while even more could vote against plans to abolish prison sentences below 12 months.
A former minister said: “These sentencing reforms are disgusting and colleagues are furious. I shall be voting against abolishing prison sentences below 12 months and I think the Government may need Labour votes.”
The rebellions put into focus today two of Sunak’s handpicked cabinet members – Health Secretary Victoria Atkins and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk – and will bring the number this week up to four after two embarrassing ones on Monday.
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Enough Conservative MPs backed an amendment on compensating infected blood victims to defeat the Government while an even larger number of Tories rebelled over forcing car manufacturers to produce electric vehicles.
Southport MP Damien Moore, who rebelled on infected blood, told Express.co.uk: “I was straightforward with the whips they knew what I intended to do.
“I think they should be more worried by colleagues who said they would not rebel but then abstained.”
A senior Tory MP told Express.co.uk: “The fact is that the Government has lost control.
“Nobody is listening to the whips anymore. But why should they? Lots of colleagues intend to step down at the next election and many others think they will lose their seats, the Government can offer them nothing to keep their loyalty.”
But with pressure mounting over the emergency legislation to get the Rwanda deportation flights off the ground in a bid to tackle illegal immigration, Mr Sunak also understands he is facing a potential leadership vote of confidence.
And a senior Conservative source confirmed that even his Downing Street operation now has its doubts about his survival.
The source said: “I was speaking to people in Number 10 the other day and outside Sunak’s inner circle everyone accepts it’s game over.”
The strategy appears to be to try to ensure there is no vote of confidence before the New Year.
The source said: “Number 10 will be hoping that if they can get to recess then any anger at the emergency legislation will lose some of its heat by the time MPs are back. Probably another reason they’ve knocked bringing [Rwanda] legislation forward by a week.”
