An ex-senior minister has told Express.co.uk that bringing back Boris Johnson in an election role is the only only thing that van save the party – but warned that fellow Tory MPs who criticised the former Prime Minister are “too arrogant” to admit they made a mistake.
With the party ranging from 20 to 29 points behind Labour in different polls, senior figures in the government have admitted that the general public “have stopped listening to us”.
But this week is being billed as “apocalypse week” by many MPs because it could see the entire government record unravel.
Tomorrow it is expected that inflation will rise to 4.4 percent hitting the cost of living while on Thursday GDP results are in which could see the UK economy in a recession – meaning that it is shrinking. Both would mean that Mr Sunak will be seen to be failing to keep his pledges of bringing down inflation and growing the economy.
Also, two Conservative safe seats are being fought over in by-elections on Thursday with defeat expected in both and fears that the party could come third to Reform UK in Wellingborough.
With despondency growing the party has now been hit by an exodus of Tory MPs to the exit door with 57 declared so far including the latest two, former sports minister Tracey Crouch and former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.
Senior Tory MPs are now pleading with Rishi Sunak to get on the phone to Boris Johnson and plead for his help. But one former minister, a Johnson ally, offered little hope that will happen.
The senior MP said: “Bringing back Boris would be a game changer especially in the Red Wall seats and marginals.
“But the question is will the very people in the Parliamentary party who ousted him, let him play a role or will they continue to put their arrogance, egos and personal ambitions before the success of the natural party of government?”
As Mr Sunak faced a people’s panel tonight on GB News in a bid to launch another attempted comeback, MPs are publicly asking him to have a rapprochement with Johnson.
Mr Kwarteng said that the Prime Minister “should swallow his pride” and call Johnson. Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove suggested he takes Mr Johnson out for a drink. Meanwhile, Mr Johnson has said he will only consider helping if he gets a personal call from Mr Sunak.
