Grant Shapps has denied holding covert meetings to garner support for a potential leadership bid following rumours that he is holding “Schnapps with Shapps” parties.
According to reports in the i, the MP for Welwyn Hatfield is considering throwing his hat into the ring in the event Rishi Sunak decides to stand or is forcibly pushed out.
One backbench MP told the newspaper that he is the one currently “making the most manoeuvres”, despite most of the speculation being focussed on Penny Mordaunt and Kemi Badenoch.
“Everyone else is at least doing it relatively subtly”, the said. “Grant isn’t being subtle at all. He’s constantly inviting people for cups of tea and drinks and constantly ringing colleagues.”
Another said it was an “open secret” that Shapps still harboured ambitions to become party leader, and perhaps prime minister, having already made an unsuccessful bid in the 2022 leadership race, while a third said he was “seen as a safe pair of hands to some” and was “known for being meticulous” as a minister.
They pointed to the fact that Shapps is renowned for being one of the best performers on the morning media round and has previously been deployed on particularly tough days for the government, such as the day after Dominic Cummings’s infamous drive to Barnard Castle and during the height of the “Partygate” scandal.
Shapps is also a seasoned Cabinet member, having served as secretary of state for defence, business and transport, as well as a six-day stint as home secretary in the final days of Liz Truss’s government.
Rumours that the defence secretary has been holding ‘Schnapps with Shapps’ drinks have been denied by Shapps, who said he has never touched the liqueur in his life.
According to the latest leadership odds, Kemi Badenoch remains the market leader at 5/2, with Penny Mordaunt a close second at 4/1.
Odds on Dame Priti Patel to become the next leader of the Conservative Party have also been slashed by the bookies.
The former Home Secretary has been backed into 8/1 from 14/1 over the Easter weekend to take over from Rishi Sunak and subsequently sits third in the betting with the bookmaker.
| Kemi Badenoch | 5/2 |
| Penny Mordaunt | 4/1 |
| Priti Patel | 8/1 |
| Suella Braverman | 8/1 |
| James Cleverly | 10/1 |
| Robert Jenrick | 12/1 |
| David Cameron | 20/1 |
| Boris Johnson | 22/1 |
| BAR | 25/1 |
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