Insiders in Number 10 say Rishi Sunak is becoming increasingly exasperated with his team as a raft of policy announcements fail to shift the dial in the polls.
The latest Opinium research shows Labour has held onto its 16 point lead for a sixth consecutive week as Reform UK climbs to 13 per cent of the vote share, threating to split the Tory vote.
Jeremy Hunt is reported to be considering cutting stamp duty in a final autumn statement before the next general election.
The chancellor has previously hinted there could be a further “fiscal event” before voters go to the polls in an effort to underline the Conservatives’ tax-cutting credentials.
But it all could be too little too late for them, with insiders saying that nothing is seeming to cut through.
Writing in the i, Hugo Gye says the PM is in danger of a coup at any time – and is frustrated with advisers and rumoured to be considering a summer election.
A source said the prime minister’s attitude towards his aides had become: “You said this would work, why isn’t it working?”
Questions over the future of his leadership have not gone away either, with local elections in less than a fortnight’s time viewed as a crunch point for Sunak.
Andy Street keeping his position as Mayor of the West Midlands will be a key battle, as will victory in Tees Valley and North Yorkshire, combined with overall losses of no more than 400 councillors out of the 1,000 Tory incumbents standing.
A Tory source who has campaigned for Ben Houchen’s re-election in Tees Valley warned that if he fails, MPs will query the Prime Minister’s future – saying: “If he doesn’t win there are going to be very serious questions about whether Rishi Sunak needs to stand down. Houchen is the perfect candidate so if he can’t win, it shows we can’t win anywhere.”
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