Nigel Farage has accused the Conservative Party of being "utterly terrified" of him in the wake of yet another blow to Rishi Sunak's leadership.
The former Ukip leader made the remarks on Twitter after the resignation of Will Dry, who ran the Prime Minister’s internal polling unit at No. 10.
It emerged yesterday that Dry quit before Christmas, saying he had "steadily becoming more dispirited" with the Conservative Party.
Dry has now joined the Conservative Britain Alliance, a group affiliated with Lord Frost which appears to be seeking to undermine the Prime Minister.
Nigel Farage has accused the Conservative Party of being "utterly terrified" of him
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Posting on X about the controversy, Farage said: "The Tory party seem to be utterly terrified of me. They have no one to blame but themselves."
In a statement given to The Sun, Dry said: "Everyone in this country can see just how colossal the challenges we face are. Sadly, it became clear to me we weren't providing the bold, decisive action required to overcome those challenges.
"You cannot dent them without internalising just how fundamentally broken our political system is.
"I further concluded, again sorrowfully, that the Conservatives are heading for the most almighty of defeats."
He added: "Be in no doubt: we are on course for at least a decade of Labour rule. And if Farage comes back, the Conservative Party essentially won't exist by Christmas."
Farage is mulling over whether to return to frontline politics but remains fearful about a situation similar to 2015. He last night told Patrick Christys that, if he does make the move, his "aim must be to win the general election after next".
Sunak is battling disastrous polling ratings
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This came just one day after ex-Cabinet Minister Simon Clarke called on the Prime Minister to quit.The former Brexit Party leader received 3.9 million votes while heading up Ukip but returned just one MP to the House of Commons in the 2015 General Election.
Clarke, who was a former ally of Sunak, warned that the Conservatives must oust Sunak or face an electoral “massacre”.
The MP served as Sunak’s number 2 at the Treasury. He warned that "extinction is a very real possibility” for the Conservative Party if the current PM leads it into this year’s general election.
In a blistering Op-Ed in the Telegraph, Clarke said that, while Sunak has many good qualities, "he does not get what Britain needs and he is not listening to what the British people want”.
Clarke, who was a former ally of Sunak, warned that the Conservatives must oust Sunak or face an electoral “massacre”.
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He said: "The unvarnished truth is that Rishi Sunak is leading the Conservatives into an election where we will be massacred. Denial of impending catastrophe is an extraordinarily powerful human instinct."
The MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland continued: "Our country, with all the challenges we face, is on the brink of being run by Keir Starmer’s Labour for a decade or more.
"If Nigel Farage returns to the fray, as looks increasingly likely, extinction is a very real possibility for our party.
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"And it is now beyond doubt that whilst the Prime Minister is far from solely responsible for our present predicament, his uninspiring leadership is the main obstacle to our recovery."
But former Home Secretary Priti Patel told GB News: "At this critical time for our country, with challenges at home and abroad, our party must focus on the people we serve and deliver for the country. Uniting and serving the county must be our priority.
"Engaging in facile and divisive self-indulgence only serves our opponents, it's time to unite and get on with the job."