Former Tory minister Nadine Dorries says Rishi Sunak had to call a general election to avoid Tory oblivion.
Speaking on GB News, Dorries hit out at the Prime Minister and suggested that he is the reason why his party is lagging behind in the polls.
Sunak announced yesterday outside 10 Downing Street that the vote will take place on 4 July.
Dorries told Stephen Dixon and Ellie Costello: “I think it was a calculated decision. One of the main reasons has to be because no one was listening anymore to anything Rishi Sunak or the party was saying.
Nadine Dorries hit out at Rishi Sunak on GB News
PA / GB NEWS
“The decision was taken, ‘do we save the party from annihilation and just lose badly?’, I think that is the point they got to.
“It’s Rishi Sunak who is the issue. His personal poll ratings actually tell us that.
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“If we had continued, it would have just got worse and worse. I think what they did yesterday was decide to lose badly.
“We were facing the prospect with some polling where we would be returning from the election with just six MPs. It was getting to that point.”
Stephen Dixon pointed out that the poll in question was referencing the local election results, which “never translate” into general election results.
Dorries responded: “Having said that, the local elections did not take place in Scotland, where we are predicted to do even worse than in England.
Prime minister Rishi SunakPA
Nadine Dorries joined Stephen Dixon and Ellie Costello on GB News
GB NEWS
“If the results were extrapolated out, it probably would have shown us to be in an even worse position.”
The former Cabinet minister is an outspoken critic of the Prime Minister having accused him of whipping up a “frenzy” around her when she resigned in August.
An ally of Boris Johnson, she suggested later in the interview that rebel Tory MPs will be “reflecting” on their decision to oust the former Prime Minister.
Sunak is keen to point to recent economic upturns as well as his flagship Rwanda migrant policy, which he insists will start reaping benefits.
Speaking to GB News, he had earlier said: “If you elect me, if I’m Prime Minister on July 5, those flights will go off to Rwanda and we will begin to put in place the deterrent that we need to stop the boats.
“Because there is no way to stop this problem unless you can have a deterrent, unless it’s clear that if someone comes to our country illegally they won’t be able to stay and they will be removed.
“Unless you’re able to deliver that people will keep coming.”