Robert Jenrick has fuelled speculation that he is preparing a leadership campaign to replace the beleaguered Kemi Badenoch with just a week to go before the local elections.
A letter to local election candidates offering his support was revealed just 24 hours after a recording emerged of him laying out a pledge to unite the Conservative Party and Reform UK.
In the letter, Mr Jenrick said: “I firmly believe that the best way to defeat our opponents is to champion Conservative values. We must not only stand by our Conservative principles but also put them into action.”
He offered to help with association fundraising and noted that he is speaking at events. The letter did not mention Tory leader Ms Badenoch, who defeated him last autumn in the final round.
It comes as Tory MPs are privately questioning Ms Badenoch’s leadership since she took over from Rishi Sunak in November, with some openly speculating that she could quit or be forced out.
This comes despite Ms Badenoch having her strongest Prime Minister’s Questions yet this week when she took aim at Sir Keir Starmer over the Supreme Court’s controversial ruling suggesting that only biological women should be considered to be women in terms of female sports or single sex spaces.
But a lack of strong performances previously at PMQs, a failure to produce policies, and criticism over her handling of other MPs and the party have raised questions about whether she is the right person to continue to lead the party.
Added to that, the Conservatives are expected to lose hundreds of seats next week. Tory peer Lord Hayward, a leading pollster, has estimated they could lose up to 525 of the 954 seats they are defending. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage and Reform could win an estimated 450 seats.
But many MPs and senior party members are openly speculating that Ms Badenoch could be on her way out, leaving a contest between Mr Jenrick and former foreign secretary Sir James Cleverly.
One MP described Ms Badenoch as “too acerbic”.
Another said: “It feels like a matter of time now. Jenrick has clearly never stopped campaigning, and Cleverly is quietly turning up to member events to keep himself in the picture.”
A third warned: “We seem to still be losing ground to Farage and Reform, and nobody knows what we stand for.”
One former Downing Street adviser described it as “an utter s*** show”.
A Tory spokesperson denied that they are concerned Mr Jenrick is running a shadow leadership campaign.
The Independent has contacted Mr Jenrick for comment.
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