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And we’re off... another cack-handed plot by Tories with a death wish

Simon Clarke’s intervention was deliberately timed to overshadow Rishi Sunak’s attempt to steady the Tory ship after last week’s damaging divisions over the Rwanda scheme, writes Andrew Grice. It won’t work

Wednesday 24 January 2024 13:55 GMT
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Clarke’s warning is the latest instalment of a plot to oust the prime minister
Clarke’s warning is the latest instalment of a plot to oust the prime minister (PA)

Simon Clarke’s stark warning that the Conservatives will be “massacred” if Rishi Sunak leads them into the general election is the latest instalment of a plot to oust the prime minister.

The former levelling up secretary and Liz Truss fan’s attack on Sunak’s “uninspiring leadership” is more worrying for the PM than previous demands for yet another change of leader – by the maverick right-wing MP Andrea Jenkyns and David Frost, the Tory peer and former Brexit secretary. Clarke has more credibility than them. Nadine Dorries, the Boris Johnson cheerleader who wrote a book, The Plot, about his “assassination,” greeted news of his manoeuvre with: “And, we’re off.”

Frost is the frontman for the Conservative Britain Alliance of anonymous Tory donors, who have commissioned an opinion poll clearly designed to destabilise the PM.

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