SPECULATION is growing over whether two Cabinet ministers are hoping to become leadership candidates in a future Tory challenge after they hosted clashing drinks receptions in Westminster on Wednesday.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi and deputy prime minister Dominic Raab both hosted drinks events for Tory MPs in their Commons offices ahead of parliament’s prorogation on Thursday.
According to The Telegraph, Zahawi hosted the event for backbenchers between 6.30pm and 7.30pm. “I hope you can drop in,” the message to MPs said.
Conservative MPs were also invited to drinks with Raab between 6pm and 7pm.
Both the ministers are tipped to be candidates for the Tory leadership, with Zahawi’s odds at 20/1 and Raab’s at 33/1.
Both have been contacted for comment.
While calls for Boris Johnson’s resignation have been quelled in recent weeks, if the Tories suffer big losses at the local elections MPs may become more vocal in their effort to oust him.
Speaking earlier this month, Tory peer and elections expert Baron Hayward said he expects Johnson to face a leadership challenge in the near future.
Hayward said the impact of the Sue Gray report, Met fines and further investigations are proving to be “death by a thousand cuts” for the Tory chief.
Asked whether Johnson is headed towards “political death”, the peer said yes.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak had long been a favourite for the Tory leadership, but his ratings have plummeted since he took on the job in 2020.
A new poll found this week that half of the public have a lower opinion of Sunak than they did a year ago.
Almost two-thirds of those who said they had a lower opinion of Sunak told Ipsos this was due to his handling of the cost-of-living crisis, while 61% cited stories about his wife’s tax arrangements.
Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos, said: “The Chancellor’s public satisfaction ratings have fallen some way from their heights earlier in the pandemic.
“While this trend started last year, this research suggests that at the moment more topical issues are casting a cloud over the public’s views, particularly the cost of living, but also stories about his wife’s tax arrangements and the impact of the fines for Downing Street parties breaking lockdown restrictions.”
