Rishi Sunak has dismissed claims that more letters have gone in from Tory MPs asking for a vote of confidence in his leadership with a backlash to his Rwanda Bill victory last night.
But it is understood that some letters have gone to 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady as a result of the simmering anger felt by some Tory MPs on the right over what they see as a betrayal with a Bill which will fail to get deportation flights of illegal migrants off the ground.
Former education minister and Boris Johnson ally Dame Andrea Jenkyns told Express.co.uk that the last count of letters asking for a leadership vote was 29 including hers.
She said: “That means we just needed 20 about a fortnight ago and that will be less now.”
However, some of her colleagues on the right said they are now “in wait-and-see mode”.
One leading rebel told Express.co.uk: “Most of us are just in wait-and-see mode. I feel we did what we could do last night.”
Another said: “Colleagues are very unhappy and bruised but I don’t think there is enough appetite for yet another leadership vote.”
It is understood that former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, one of 11 Tory rebels to vote against the Bill, was ready to launch a leadership bid if the Bill had fallen.
There were claims that some in the Cabinet including Kemi Badenoch and Penny Mordaunt were also readying themselves in the event of a defeat.
However, grassroots critics in the Conservative Democratic Organisation (CDO) who had been urging MPs to stick to their principles and vote down the Rwanda Bill called for a change of leadership.
David Campbell Bannerman, chairman of the CDO, said: “The latest polling shows that Sunak and his ‘grown ups’ have taken the Conservatives from just behind Labour by 3 points at 33 percent under Boris Johnson to a disastrous 20 percent – Rishi has lost us 13 percent of voters and is less popular than both Starmer and the Conservative Party.
“Sunak is a dud and must be removed as leader immediately. 61 rebel Tories is more than the 53 needed for a confidence vote. With Sunak we’re sunk.”
But pushed on the issue of letters going in at the Downing Street press conference this morning, Mr Sunak said: “The Conservative Party is united. We all want to stop the boats.”
He went on: “I’m interested in sticking to the plan because that plan is working. Last year was a tricky year but we are seeing progress.
“My main message is the plan is working. Keir Starmer has had four years to set out an alternative and hasn’t done so.
“The Conservative Party is completely united to deliver for the country, cut taxes and stop the boats.”
