Penny Mordaunt is 'stalking horse for Right-wing Tory rival'

Supporters of Sunak claim that the Leader of the House of Commons is being utilized to attract moderate Members of Parliament into supporting a challenge to the current leadership.

Allies of the Prime Minister have accused right-wing Tory MPs of utilizing Penny Mordaunt as a "stalking horse" to remove Rishi Sunak from his position.

Supporters of the Tory party asserted that the recent action taken by a group of conservative members towards backing Ms. Mordaunt's leadership bid may have been a maneuver to gain support from moderate MPs. This move could potentially aid them in the upcoming leadership race, thereby enabling them to put forth their own candidate.

The Conservative Party is experiencing increased discord, as several supporters of Mr. Sunak have indicated that Ms. Mordaunt, Leader of the Commons, does not have definitive political convictions and is even viewed as a "void" by true supporters.

There was a big disagreement among politicians, which happened because a lot of Mr. Sunak's party members were worried last week. The reason was that the Budget didn't make a quick improvement in their ratings. The Conservatives are now very far behind Labour by 20 points and people are concerned that this could be a disastrous election result.

The Prime Minister received strong criticism for how he dealt with two separate issues: the departure of Lee Anderson, a former Tory deputy chairman who defected to Reform UK, and a controversy surrounding the largest Conservative donor and allegations of racism.

Anxiety regarding the party's chances in the upcoming election has permeated among high-ranking officials and assistants. A government insider has expressed their concern, saying, "It resembles the end of Rome."

Mr. Sunak is planning to soothe any concerns during his conversation with the 1922 committee on Wednesday evening, as he takes a forceful approach leading up to Easter.

Officials in the government are anticipating the release of official statistics that are expected to show a decrease in inflation. The Prime Minister is likely to use this as evidence of an improving economy and hopes that voters will soon notice this change, along with the benefits of the tax cuts implemented by the Conservative party.

In a different report, The Telegraph shared that the Conservative party is getting ready to bring back Mr Sunak's promise to make changes to the equality laws that were introduced by New Labour. These modifications would safeguard areas intended for one gender only, as well as women's sporting activities. The ministers view this decision as a way to draw a distinct line between themselves and the Labour party on this matter.

Distinguished officials from the Government are contemplating a proposal to modify the Equality Act that was previously denounced by the Prime Minister as a means to promote "woke nonsense" in the community.

Nevertheless, this matter also causes unease within the Conservative Party. Throughout the 2022 race for the leadership position, Ms Mordaunt drew criticism for her prior statement affirming that "trans men are men, trans women are women".

The Telegraph stated on Friday that a few members of the Conservative party who hold conservative views are willing to unite around Ms. Mordaunt and thwart huge setbacks in the upcoming elections.

There seems to have been a gathering of influential individuals from the Conservative Right and notable backers of Ms. Mordaunt, who had once contended for the party's leadership.

A particular member of the Tory party said, "Penny is now more believable as a choice for those in the conservative club. She's receiving approval from the public through various forms of polling, and her personal incentives to win the position potentially go as far as maintaining her role as an MP."

Ms Mordaunt has a significantly smaller lead of 15,780 votes in Portsmouth North when compared to her competitor Kemi Badenoch, who holds a much larger majority of 27,000 votes. Badenoch is considered to be a strong rival to Mordaunt.

According to a supporter of Mr. Sunak, a small group is devising strategies, and their newest idea aims to convince more party members to support them. They believe that all MPs understand the importance of staying united and opposing Labour.

Another supporter mentioned about Ms. Mordaunt: "During the previous election, she had support among MPs, but didn't really catch the attention of the Right within the party. It could be one or two people trying to create a diversion from what others are doing, or it could be an attempt to see how she performs if elected."

Another supporter stated about the allegation of the "stalking horse": "I firmly believe that this is their intention. It's absurd. What makes them think that everyone would simply welcome her with open arms?"

Another member of the Conservative party who is loyal to the party claimed that Ms. Mordaunt is perceived as someone who lacks substance. Moreover, the supporter stated that some people who are in favor of Ms. Mordaunt's appointment believe that she will be a figurehead, while they will actually hold the power. However, such people will soon realize that it does not function in that way. Ms. Mordaunt will make her own choices and decisions independently.

A conservative source supporting Ms. Mordaunt on the right wing dismissed the accusations of being a "stalking horse" as unfounded, but David Davis, who previously supported Ms. Mordaunt's bid for leadership in 2022, claimed that the rumors were being spread by her opponents rather than her supporters.

In 1990, Sir Anthony Meyer launched a "stalking horse" challenge that caused Margaret Thatcher to lose the leadership election. Nowadays, the regulations have been altered to prevent a prospective candidate from initiating a competition with just a few supporters.

This situation suggests that certain members of the conservative party are expressing their support for Ms. Mordaunt in order to make her a "stalking horse" contender. This means that other MPs from different factions may rally behind her, as some centrist MPs would rather not endorse candidates like Mrs. Badenoch and Suella Braverman.

A conservative Party member from the more conservative section has expressed confidence in Penny's ability to improve the current situation. This MP shared that while Penny might not be able to single-handedly secure a victory for the party in the upcoming elections, she possesses better communication skills than Rishi.

The mood in the parliamentary party has undergone a significant shift in recent times. One can sense a great unease amongst the members, and they appear stunned. In my estimation, the probability of him being asked to step down before the upcoming election is high.

A person close to Ms Mordaunt stated that she is carrying out her duties excellently as the Leader of the House, and that is what she is being paid for. This individual confirmed that Ms Mordaunt is not engaging in any political or tactical moves like some other potential candidates for leadership.

According to the ally, the Right is weak because they are unable to perform their own tasks and are seeking someone else to do it for them. This behavior is harmful and unproductive.

The political party is expected to become nervous again after the May elections. Nowadays, the tea room is no longer frequented by the rebels because they are aware of the unwelcoming attitude they will receive.

New quarrels between members of the Conservative party have risen, which came after reports surfaced in January revealing a plot organized by certain parliamentarians and former aides of the party to oust Mr. Sunak from his position.

A member of parliament mentioned that their plan was to block the Rwanda Bill and force Rishi to step down as a result. In the upcoming days, Mr. Sunak will use his majority in the House of Commons to eliminate a number of changes made to the bill by the Lords. He believes that this action will further solidify his control.

A member of the government expressed dissatisfaction with Mr. Sunak and his assistants for not reassuring the anxious Conservative party members sooner by disavowing a May election before Thursday. Finally, the Prime Minister confirmed that there would be no election on May 2.

According to the spokesperson for Number 10, it's the accumulation of small errors that can lead to frustration amongst individuals. They also noted that the main issue was the political party's unrealistic hopes regarding the Budget.

You wouldn't anticipate a budget to have an impact on your popularity among voters. The best course of action for managing the situation is to remain composed. The Prime Minister is the only individual who can resolve this matter.