Allies of former Home Secretary Suella Braverman are set to meet this afternoon to discuss how to respond to her dramatic sacking.
Express.co.uk has learnt that members of the influential right-wing Common Sense Group and New Conservatives will come together to discuss their reaction to the Prime Minister’s reshuffle.
Currently opinion is divided on how to proceed but a senior member of the groups told Express.co.uk that “the only option is the nuclear option”.
The MP said: “Some colleagues will be understandably nervous about having yet another leadership contest but it is clear now that the choice is to change leader and Prime Minister or face electoral annihilation.”
The MP said that the initial part of the major reshuffle had “created a feeling of complete despair”.
The backbencher added: “It is clear now that the Prime Minister wants to destroy the right of the party and we have to retaliate.”
Other MPs in the group have already pointed out that Sunak has appointed a new Home Secretary, James Cleverly, who is opposed to leaving the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) to allow the UK to control its borders.
They are also angry over the appointment of David Cameron as Foreign Secretary.
One MP noted: “That’s the man who fought tooth and nail to stop us leaving the European Union in the referendum, now he is Foreign Secretary.”
Another MP said: “The mood music is clear and the direction of the government now is one which will only leave us to electoral defeat.”
The number of MPs needed to trigger a leadership vote is currently 53, 15 percent of the number in the Commons.
The Common Sense Group and New Conservatives are understood to have up to 60 MPs between them if they all agree to send letters to the 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady.
If they fail to muster the number they still represent a big enough group to “hold the government hostage” according to once source.
Allies of Mr Sunak believed that only 12 MPs would back Ms Braverman if she was sacked.
However, already there are concerns in the WhatsApp groups that the Prime Minister has bowed to left-wing pressure and Ms Braverman was right.
One MP said: “Sunak has committed political suicide.”
The furious WhatsApp discussion also saw calls for the Prime Minister to be removed.
Another senior Tory said: “Time for letters to go in. Let’s see what mess is made of the reshuffle too.”
A third Tory said: “I’m furious. He [Sunak] is no politician. He doesn’t understand that the Tory faithful are pretty much only faithful because of Suella.”
Ms Braverman was the only recognised member of the right of the party in the cabinet before her departure.
Allies have also pointed out that she was instrumental in getting Sunak into Downing Street by backing him over Boris Johnson after Liz Truss was ousted.
