Shadow ministers are considering resigning in hopes of sparking a leadership contest and ousting Kemi Badenoch, it is understood.
Concerned MPs in the Tory leader’s shadow cabinet may take the “nuclear” option of stepping down from their roles to force her departure.
A number of leading party figures could put forward letters of no confidence as soon as November 2, sources told The Times, who went on to claim rumours are swirling of one or more shadow ministers resigning.
A YouGov poll published on Monday suggested half of Conservative members did not want Mrs Badenoch to lead the party into the next election, while Robert Jenrick was their top choice to replace her.
The Shadow Justice Secretary has however, avoided making disloyal comments about the party leader and urged the “survivors” of the 2024 election to “get behind Kemi”.
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Keir Starmer declares: ‘I don’t need lectures from Robert Jenrick’ after top Tory’s ‘white faces’ warning
Sir Keir Starmer has claimed he “does not need lectures from Robert Jenrick” amid a row over the Shadow Justice Secretary’s remarks on “white faces” in Birmingham.
Speaking to GB News ahead of his arrival in India on Wednesday morning, the Prime Minister was probed on Mr Jenrick’s comment that he “didn’t see another white face” during a visit to Handsworth in the Second City.
On average, under 15 per cent of residents in the area were white at the time of the 2021 census, while under 10 per cent were “White: English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British”.
In particular, Mr Jenrick was seen visiting The Broadway in Handsworth, which ranges from 5.5 to 2.8 per cent white.
But now, the Prime Minister has claimed it is “quite hard to take anything that Robert Jenrick says seriously”.
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