ANDREW PIERCE: When Rishi Sunak attended a reception for the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, there was no shortage of candidates looking to bend his ear.
When Rishi Sunak swept on to the Commons terrace last week with his entourage in tow to attend a reception for the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, there was no shortage of candidates looking to bend his ear.There was a growing row over the tepid No 10 response to racist remarks about the veteran MP Diane Abbott by the party's biggest donor Frank Hester.
Much of the leadership talk centres on Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt who has just risen to the top of the ConservativeHome website's league table Much of the leadership talk centres on Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt, who has just risen to the top of the ConservativeHome website's league table of Cabinet ministers most popular among the grassroots.
Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, who – with ten years' Cabinet service is one of the most experienced operators at Westminster – held a drinks party for MPs at his office The campaign against Sunak has been given renewed momentum by a bombshell poll leaked to The Mail on Sunday that predicted Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer could win an unprecedented majority of 250 seats, reducing the Tories to fewer than 150 MPs.
And the question remains: Is Mordaunt actually keen on the idea? One of her supporters insists: 'She's not lobbying anyone for the job.' READ MORE: Rishi Sunak WILL lead the Tories into the next election 'at the end of the year' insists Mark Harper as MPs plot to parachute in Penny Mordaunt to avoid wipeout Advertisement Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, who – with ten years' Cabinet service is one of the most experienced operators at Westminster – held a drinks party for MPs at his office only two weeks ago.
'Many Telegraph readers are party members and they have the final say in a leadership contest,' another MP points out. 'If she can show she stopped their newspaper falling into foreign hands that will help her prospects.'
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