Rishi Sunak has held a crisis meeting at Chequers as the Conservative Party face a war on two fronts.
Following a bruising PMQs when the prime minister had to defend the tax affairs of the party’s former chancellor as well as his own, Sunak has convened his top advisers to discuss how they can stave off electoral annihilation.
Polling companies put support at Labour at (or around) 50 per cent following another round of scandals, with the Conservatives languishing as low as 21 per cent.
But it could be the threat from the right wing that causes Sunak the most worry.
Leading pollster Lord Hayward said the PM is right to be worried about the risk.
“Clearly it will have an impact if they continue to poll even at these levels, partly because it will unnerve and distract the Conservative Party,” he told The Telegraph.
“It is not yet clear what share Reform would actually get if, particularly, the cross-Channel matter was progressed.”
Nervous backbenchers have raised concerns of the growing support for Reform, reminiscent of UKIP’s surge in support during David Cameron’s time in Office.
Reform’s leader Richard Tice has claimed to have spoken to a number of Conservative MPs who have shared intentions to defect to the party ahead of the next election.
While the party is not likely to take any seats, there is a real danger they could take votes away from the Tories and result in them losing to Labour in key areas.
It could turn a lanslide into near annihilation.
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