London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Many Tory MPs are doom-laden - what will they do next?

Many Tory MPs are doom-laden - what will they do next?

Credibility is one of the most prized assets in politics.
When it drains away, dredging it back is difficult, often impossible.

The mood among Conservative MPs is bleak, doom-laden, fatalistic.

Most I speak to are convinced the last month and a bit means losing the next election is a near certainty.

It's now about minimising their losses, they fear.

This pessimism - justified or otherwise - could help to shape the psychology of what happens next, how they act.

In the short term, their focus this weekend will be on the performance of the new chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, who is talking to BBC Breakfast and Radio 4's Today Programme among others, and will then spend his time in the Treasury meeting officials and being briefed on the job ahead.

Just imagine the mugging up he has to do.

In a fortnight, he'll be the front man for the government's economic statement that could determine whether we end up with another new prime minister before Christmas.

He is steeped in Conservative politics, has held high office and is widely seen within the party as a decent bloke.

He also backed Rishi Sunak for the leadership and is now in a massive job in the Truss administration, which didn't exactly initially go out of its way to hire those who'd backed her opponent.

Meanwhile, in the WhatsApp groups and on the phones, in the corridors and the bars, the chatter among Tory MPs about what to do next is everywhere.

For all the noise you'll have heard about, remember this: there are those who say, hang on a minute, Liz Truss must be given time. Ousting her would be a ridiculous. And a "coronation", as one described it - the party at Westminster stitching things up behind their chosen one - would be wrong, undemocratic and literally incredible.

It seems to me that after the party conference, while many, many Conservative MPs were in the doldrums about Liz Truss, plenty felt it would look absurd if they were to move against her.

Now, many still accept that, but are concluding absurdity might be better than the alternative.

Among those who think a change will become necessary, there is widespread acceptance the party couldn't "spend months faffing about" over it as one put it to me - in other words asking party members all over the country what they think, as happened in the summer.

Which brings us back to that idea of a "coronation".

Some take issue with that word, because they say it wouldn't be that - any new leader would have to command the support of the parliamentary party.

But what would have to happen is the party being willing to coalesce around a single figure, supported by a wider team representing the party's different wings - a Conservative government of all the talents, if you like.

Some are sceptical that can happen.

"You've got to remember that some of my colleagues are so ambitious, even inheriting dust is something they'd want to do", says one backbencher about the landscape Liz Truss's successor would inherit, and the difficulty of persuading plenty of fellow Conservatives to turn off their aspiration gene.

So how might a party far from united unite around a single candidate, and who might they be?

Well, there is Rishi Sunak, someone else who can call themselves a former chancellor, and the man Liz Truss beat for the leadership.

Then there is Penny Mordaunt, also beaten to the job in the summer by Liz Truss.

Penny Mordaunt is now in the cabinet.

And then there's a bloke you may just remember: Boris Johnson. What does he choose to say, or do, in the coming days, weeks, months? Does he stay quiet? Precedent suggests that's not his natural inclination. Does he endorse someone? Is it too soon for him to attempt some sort of comeback? Almost certainly. But who knows.

And that's the key point this weekend.

Liz Truss is in office, but far from in control.

No one knows what is going to happen next, how this will play out.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×