‘Prime Minister has a plan that is in the best interests of the British people,’ said Mr Anderson. (Image: Getty)
Rwanda rebel Lee Anderson led calls for Tory MPs to unite around Rishi Sunak after a botched attempt to oust him by an ex-Cabinet minister.
Sir Simon Clarke claimed the Conservatives will be “massacred” at the general election unless the Prime Minister is replaced.
But Mr Anderson, who quit as deputy party chairman last week after refusing to vote for Mr Sunak’s deportation plan, told colleagues it was time to “be as one” after weeks of infighting.
He said: “We need to be as one to win the next election.
“The Prime Minister has a plan that is in the best interests of the British people. We must get behind this plan or allow Labour to ruin our great country.”
Mr Anderson said that it is possible to unite after a “little spat” and insisted the party “can win” if it gets behind Mr Sunak.
Conservative MP Bob Seely said: “He’s a fool for his one-man rebellion. It’s actually made us much more united. The more this year goes on the more united Conservatives will be and the more Labour will be under pressure.”
Just a week after the PM saw off rebels threatening to vote down his Rwanda bill, Sir Simon wrote an article claiming “extinction is a very real possibility” for the party if Mr Sunak leads it into the election this year.
“The unvarnished truth is that Rishi Sunak is leading the Conservatives into an election where we will be massacred,” he said.
He added: “I know many MPs are afraid another change of leader would look ridiculous.
“But what could be more ridiculous than meekly sleepwalking towards an avoidable annihilation because we were not willing to listen to what the public are telling us so clearly?”
After a furious backlash from colleagues, Sir Simon compared himself to a disliked man shouting “iceberg”.
“I totally respect the strong views that something like this evokes,” he said.
“No one likes that guy that’s shouting ‘iceberg’ but I suspect that people will be even less happy if we hit the iceberg.
“And we are on course to do that. That is the point that I need to land with colleagues respectfully and calmly.
“We are not at the moment responding to the situation with the seriousness that it warrants.
“Because I don’t want a decade of decline under Starmer. I really worry that we’re on course for a shattering course.”
Sir Simon was left completely isolated as Tory MPs rowed in behind the Prime Minister and even his closest allies refused to back him.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “If we were to do something as foolish as have an internal argument at this stage, all it would do is open the door for Keir Starmer, and Keir Starmer has no plan, would undo all the good work, take us right back to square one.”
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Conservative Stephen Hammond said Sir Simon’s comments were “misguided” and advised him “it’s time to keep quiet”.
He added: “Infighting and divided parties never win. It would be hugely irresponsible.
“The very worst thing we could do now is have another change of leader. That would make us look, I think sort of, well I think self-indulgence is probably the right term.”
Former defence secretary Ben Wallace said: “My colleague, Sir Simon Clarke MP, is wrong. The way to win the next election is to tackle inflation and grow the economy.
“Rishi is doing just that. Division and another PM would lead to the certain loss of power. We need to focus on delivering for the public, not divisive rowing.”
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Postal affairs minister Kevin Hollinrake acknowledged there is a sense of “panic” in some sections of the party, but said Sir Simon’s view is not widely held.
Downing Street suggested Sir Simon did not enjoy wider support among the party.
The Prime Minister’s press secretary said: “This is one MP.”
She added: “We recognise that he’s in a different place to some other MPs that have come out today. He’s entitled to his view but that won’t distract us from getting on with what matters to people.”
Sir Simon and former minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns are the only Tory MPs to have publicly called for Mr Sunak to go, far short of the 53 MPs required to submit letters to the backbench 1922 Committee to trigger a confidence vote.
Sir Simon, one of 11 rebels to vote against the Rwanda bill, was a key ally of former prime minister Liz Truss, but she has not backed his calls for the PM to go.
The row dominated Prime Minister’s questions, with Sir Keir Starmer claiming Mr Sunak is being “bullied” by Tory MPs as they take part in the “longest episode of EastEnders ever put to film”.
But the PM hit back at the “human weathervane” Labour leader as they clashed in the Commons.
Mr Sunak arrived in the chamber to loud cheers from his MPs after Sir Simon called for him to be ousted to avoid a Conservative “massacre” at the general election.
Sir Keir claimed Mr Sunak is “endlessly fighting with his own MPs” and quoted Sir Simon’s attack that “he doesn’t get what Britain needs and he’s not listening to what people want?”
Mr Sunak replied: “He talks about what Britain needs, what Britain wants, what Britain values.
“This from a man who takes the knee, who wanted to abolish the monarchy, who still doesn’t know what a woman is, and who just this week, one of his frontbenchers said that they backed teaching divisive white privilege in our schools.
“Looking at his record, it’s crystal clear which one of us doesn’t get Britain’s values.”
