Tory MPs demand Cabinet reshuffle after election - with Suella Braverman urged to return

John Curtice gives verdict on local election results

Tory MPs are seemingly coalescing around demands for a wide scale Government reshuffle as the price for Rishi Sunak staying on as Prime Minister.

Following this weekend’s disastrous local election results for the Conservatives, MPs are emerging to say that while it’s too late to replace Mr Sunak as leader of the party before the election, major changes are needed in order to avoid a wipeout.

Speaking this morning, senior MP Sir John Hayes said there should be a reshuffle and named one high profile MP who must return to Cabinet.

He told Times Radio: “I do think that the last reshuffle, I don't think it was terribly well received, because political parties need to offer a balance of views and opinions, all political parties in our system of Government are coalitions and it's right that the often called the right of the party - I describe it as the authentic Tory part of the Conservative Party - is represented at the top table.

“And so I believe Suella leaving the top table wasn't great from that point of view. Being aside her talents and abilities, which the Government could well do with.”

MPs are demanding a widespread reshuffle alongside a radical change of policy (Image: Downing Street)

Sir John added that both Ben Houchen’s win, and Andy Street’s narrow loss, suggests that the Conservatives do best when putting forward a “powerful and coherent message”.

His comments came shortly after prominent rebel Dame Andrea Jenkyns suggested she is abandoning her calls for Mr Sunak to be ousted, and said the party now needs a new “war Cabinet”.

Dame Andrea wrote this morning that Mr Sunak must “wake up” and be more conservative if he wants to avoid a humiliating defeat at the election.

In a demand for him to be “bold and radical”, she said Boris Johnson should return to Government as the party’s chairman, to demonstrate the Tories have “set aside our differences and are uniting to save our country from the socialists”.

Two MPs have said Ms Braverman should return to Cabinet (Image: Getty)

“That’s what I would do if I was him. I would put together a major war cabinet reshuffle and bring back talent from the right of the party.

“Maybe Priti Patel as deputy prime minister, Jacob Rees-Mogg taking on the culture wars as culture secretary, Suella Braverman as education secretary to sort out the ridiculous RSHE sex/trans education, and Robert Jenrick back in the Home Office.

“But most importantly, I would ensure that Boris is fighting a seat at the next election and is our party chairman, demonstrating that we have set aside our differences and are uniting to save our country from the socialists, who will no doubt be as bad as the SNP if they got into power with their out-of-touch ideology.”

A third rebel MP told the Express that a Cabinet reshuffle could help Mr Sunak, but only if it was linked to a radical change in policy direction.

One MP said Mr Johnson should return as party chairman (Image: Getty)

Speaking this morning, former Home Secretary Suella Braverman lambasted her party leader for making MPs focus on the smoking ban and regulating London pedicabs instead of addressing the real needs of voters.

She told Laura Kuenssberg: “They’re putting forward legislation to ban smoking and to clamp down on pedicabs!

“We voted more on pedicabs and on banning smoking than we’ve voted on meaningful health care reform, or fixing social care, or improving mental health care!

“We are not delivering for the people, we’re not delivering the politics that people want.”