Sunak news – live: Starmer says PM being bullied by party as senior Tories slam Simon Clarke’s ‘foolish’ coup
Simon Clarke claims Rishi Sunak’s ‘uninspiring leadership is the main obstacle to our recovery’
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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has claimed Rishi Sunak is being “bullied” by his own MPs and he used PMQs to mock the prime minister after a fresh Tory civil war erupted.
Sir Keir said Mr Sunak was “endlessly” fighting with his own party and that the more “they slag him off behind his back, the louder they cheer in here”.
It comes after Liz Truss ally Sir Simon Clarke claimed the Conservative Party could face “extinction” unless the prime minister resigns.
Sir Simon, who served in the Treasury under Mr Sunak, made the intervention in the Daily Telegraph to urge his colleagues to sack the PM ahead of the looming general election, arguing he “has sadly gone from asset to anchor”.
Tory MPs have rounded on Sir Simon’s attempted coup, branding his move against Mr Sunak as “foolish” and “facile”. A senior Conservative MP told The Independent Sir Simon was “flying a kite that’s already broken” and they did not expect fellow right-wingers to join his rebellion.
However, the Conservative Democratic Organisation – led by allies of former prime minister Boris Johnson – are demanding a leadership vote for fear of “electoral disaster”.
Watch: Tory rebel Simon Clarke 'completely wrong' to call for Sunak to go, says minister
Suella Braverman not involved in push against Sunak, claims rebel MP
Right-wing rebel Andrea Jenkyns – who is the other Tory MP to have admitted submitting a letter of no-confidence in Rishi Sunak – has warned the party is in the “last chance saloon”.
“I did [my letter of no confidence] in November and it’s last chance saloon,” she told GB News. “I think the only way of actually saving our country from the socialists and slippery Starmer is by changing leader – and time’s running out.”
The arch Boris Johnson loyalist said she expected a “trickle” of more letters to go in to the 1922 Committee, claiming other MPs would be “sleep” on whether to join her and Simon Clarke.
Ms Jenkyns also played down the idea Suella Braverman was plotting with Mr Clarke bring down Rishi Sunak. “I don’t think Suella [Braverman] is involved with this. I’d be very surprised if this has anything to do with Suella.”
Meanwhile, fellow Johnson fan Nadine Dorries encouraged MPs to get rid of Sunak, predicting a wipeout “if we don’t do something now”. She told GB News: “The Conservative Party wrote its suicide note the moment it removed Boris Johnson.”
Simon Clarke to be dropped from Liz Truss’s ‘Popular Conservatism’ launch
Jason Groves, the political editor of the Daily Mail, is reporting that Simon Clarke will be dropped from next month’s Popular Conservatism launch.
Popular Conservatism is a new faction being embarked upon by former prime minister Liz Truss as she seeks to exert influence on the manifesto for the next general election.
Sir Simon, a loyal Ms Truss ally, was listed as one of the speakers at the event a few days ago.
PMQs begins in a few minutes...
Rishi Sunak will be taking PMQs very soon and will surely face a few probing questions from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer about the fresh Tory civil war that erupted overnight.
And we’re off...
Rishi Sunak faces Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in the latest PMQs, and will also take questions from MPs.
Watch it live here: https://youtube.com/live/V3sx-foXQw8?feature=share
PMQs: Sunak offers best wishes to King Charles and Princess of Wales
Rishi Sunak starts proceedings by offering his best wishes to King Charles and Kate, the Princess of Wales, who are both suffering from ill health.
Watch live: Rishi Sunak faces Prime Minister’s Questions as senior Tory calls for his resignation
Watch live as Rishi Sunak faces Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, 24 January, after a senior Tory called for his resignation.
Sir Simon Clarke, who served in the Treasury while the now-prime minister was chancellor, said that Mr Sunak “is leading the Conservatives into an election where [they] will be massacred”.
“If we change the leader to a prime minister who shares the instincts of the majority and is willing to lead the country in the right direction, we will recover strongly in 2024,” the MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland wrote in the Telegraph.
Watch live: Rishi Sunak faces PMQs as senior Tory calls for his resignation
Watch live as Rishi Sunak faces Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, 24 January, after a senior Tory called for his resignation.
PMQs: Sunak’s had ‘quite a week’, says Starmer
Labour leader Keir Starmer has joined Mr Sunak in sending his best wishes to King Charles and the Princess of Wales.
He also paid tribute to Sir Tony Lloyd, the Labour MP who died last week.
Mr Starmer said Mr Sunak had “quite a week” and added that the more Tory MPs criticise him in private, the more they come out to support him in public.
Starmer: Sunak being ‘bullied’ by Tories who ‘slag him off behind his back’
Keir Starmer has claimed Rishi Sunak is being “bullied” by his own MPs and he used PMQs to mock the Tory leader over the latest bout of infighting.
“The difference is, I’ve changed my party – he is bullied by his,” the Labour leader told the Commons.
The Labour leader said Mr Sunak was “endlessly” fighting with his own party. He added: “The more they slag him off behind his back, the louder they cheer in here.”
Sir Keir also attacked Tory “division and chaos” – saying the internal wars amounted to “the longest episode of EastEnders ever put to film:”.
Sir Keir also mocked the Tory leader over the clip which showed him “collapsing in laughter when asked by a member of the public about NHS waiting lists”. He said: “His own MPs say he doesn’t understand Britain.”
Sunak: Starmer ‘doesn’t get Britain’s values - PMQs
Rishi Sunak has responded and said the Labour leader “doesn’t get Britain’s values”.
He said: “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.”
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