Rishi Sunak calls urgent meeting as he panics Reform UK to ruin Tory election hopes

Rishi Sunak has called an urgent meeting as fears set in within the Conservative party that Reform UK could pummel their chances at the next general election.

The Prime Minister will hold a Cabinet meeting at Chequers tomorrow where they will attempt to work out a way to restore the public’s faith in the party.

Rishi Sunak's party continues to be tarred by scandal.
Simon Dawson / No10 Downing Street

Early suggestions involve levelling up, tackling inflation and the ongoing migrant crisis which has been a key topic of debate in recent months as the UK saw a record 45,756 people crossing the Channel into the UK in 2022.

Leading pollster Lord Hayward said this was the right move in order to fend off Reform UK from preventing the party keeping key seats.

“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.

Richard Tice has claimed to have spoken to a number of Conservative MPs about defecting to Reform
GB News

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.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper accused Sunak of using the “away day” at Chequers as a “hideaway” as the Party continues to be tarred by scandal.

She said: “While Rishi Sunak and his scandal-hit ministers hold a ‘hideaway’ day at Chequers, the rest of the country is suffering from this endless Conservative chaos,

“The NHS is in crisis and people are struggling to pay their rent or mortgage, but Conservative ministers are too busy fighting to save their own careers.

“Sunak’s promise to govern with integrity now lies in tatters. He can’t even tackle the multiple crises facing his Cabinet, let alone the huge challenges facing the country.

“The public deserve so much better than this daily soap opera of sleaze and scandal. All people want is a fair deal with a competent government and public services they can rely on.”