Rishi Sunak invitations Tory MPs to post-election debrief in determined bid to calm nerves | EUROtoday

Rishi Sunak has referred to as in Tory MPs for 2 mini summits in a determined bid to calm nerves after final week’s native election drubbing.

As livid plotters accused their colleagues of “giving up on beating Labour” and “accepting their destiny”, as efforts to topple Mr Sunak stalled, the PM invited backbenchers to attend “local elections presentations” later this month.

The summits will be held by Mr Sunak, Tory chairman Richard Holden and Conservative campaign director Isaac Levido.

“Both sessions will be an opportunity for colleagues to provide feedback, ask questions and receive an update on our campaign strategy,” an email sent to Tory MPs, seen by The Independent, said.

Tories were shocked by the scale of the defeat, with 472 council seats lost and a dreadful result for the party in London, where Sadiq Khan was returned as the city’s mayor for a third term.

The PM was said to be furious about the Conservatives losing to Labour in the York and North Yorkshire metro mayoral race, an area historically seen as true blue Tory territory.

Mr Sunak also voted for Conservative candidate Keane Duncan, who lost to Labour’s David Skaith, a local businessman.

A slew of senior Conservatives told The Independent after the results that their colleagues are “spineless” for not trying to replace Mr Sunak, while some warned another Tory leadership election would only do more damage to the party’s fortunes.

One said: “Some are standing down and don’t care. Some are motivated by their own self interest and patronage Rishi has. Some are deluded and some have just given up and don’t think anything will make any difference and it would be just as bad if not worse with a new leader.”

And another told this paper: “I think there is some concern that there is no clear candidate.

“Concern someone like Penny Mordaunt could get it and is unsound.

“The further damage that changing again could do and some are holding onto shreds of silver linings in the local election results in their areas.”

Another mentioned: “Most of my colleagues are spineless cowards. And have given up attempting to cease a Labour authorities. It’s maddening. Most of them gained’t be again in Parliament.”

In a bid to punch the Tory bruise, Reform UK leader Richard Tice said the PM’s presentation to MPs appears to be an attempt to “persuade Tory voters” not to back his and Nigel Farage’s right-wing challenger party.

The row erupted as Mr Sunak claimed that, while the Conservatives will lose the general election, Labour will fail to win an outright majority and Britain will be left with a hung parliament.

One Tory MP described the suggestion as “wishful thinking”, while Labour Party chairman Anneliese Dodds said it was “extraordinary”.

Mr Sunak pointed to Sky News analysis of the local election results which suggested Labour would be the largest party in a hung parliament. Elections expert Michael Thrasher said that if Labour’s seven point local election lead over the Conservatives was repeated at a general election there would be a hung parliament.

However, people tend not to vote the same way in a general election where independent and smaller party candidates do not fare as well, and the analysis did not factor in any Labour gains in Scotland off the back of ongoing SNP chaos.

“These results suggest we are heading for a hung parliament with Labour as the largest party,” Mr Sunak told The Times. “Keir Starmer propped up in Downing Street by the SNP, Liberal Democrats and the Greens would be a disaster for Britain.”

It is an try to revive the message used efficiently by David Cameron forward of the 2015 basic election warning voters would face an SNP-Labour “coalition of chaos” if they didn’t again the Tories.

It additionally got here as Downing Street shelved plans for a summer time basic election, with an autumn vote now extensively anticipated.

Former dwelling secretary Suella Braverman has urged the prime minister to embrace extra right-wing insurance policies to win again voters forward of the competition.

But she mentioned a change of management was not a “feasible prospect”, including: “There is no superman or superwoman out there who can do it.”

Among the measures Ms Braverman has urged Mr Sunak to undertake to win again voters are additional tax cuts and a cap on authorized migration.