A new poll has revealed how the Tories can get back on a “possible path” to victory, after a double blow at the by-elections earlier this week.
It has revealed that eight out of 10 former Conservatives believe that the party would have a higher chance of winning if they had a leader who embraces “traditional Conservative values”.
Tory peer Lord Moylan said that the poll showed that there is a “possible path” to victory if the party ditched Rishi Sunak and adopted new policies.
The poll was commissioned by Lady McAlpine, a long-standing Tory supporter. It surveyed 13,534 British adults online between January 23 and February 7.
A new poll has shown former Conservatives' disappointment with Sunak
PAAccording to the poll, Labour is on 42 per cent, the Tories are on 20 per cent, 13 per cent for Reform and 10 per cent for the Liberal Democrats.
It also found that eighty per cent of “one-time Conservatives” agreed with that the party would have better luck if Sunak was replaced.
Whitestone Insight, who ran the poll, said: “According to the poll results, replacing Rishi Sunak could mean the difference between wipeout, noble defeat, or possibly even somehow clinging on to power.”
Lord Moylan, a close ally of Boris Johnson, told The Telegraph that the Tories were facing a “calamitous result” at the general election.
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“The trouble is that the first step is being rid of Sunak and the second the adoption of policies that even now, with the flaming roof caving in, many Conservative MPs wouldn’t countenance,” he said.
The poll comes after Sunak suffered a bruising earlier this week, losing by-elections in both Wellingborough and Kingswood.
The defeats mean the Conservative Party has now lost more by-elections in a single parliament than any administration since the 1960s.
Wellingborough, which was previously held with a Conservative majority of 18,540, was won by Labour with a majority of 6,436. This represents a swing of 28.5 percentage points - the second largest swing from Tory to Labour at any by-election since World War 2.
It also found that eighty per cent of “one-time Conservatives” agreed with that the party would have better luck if Sunak was replaced
GETTYKingswood was previously held with a Conservative majority of 11,220, but was last night won by Labour with a majority of 2,501 - a swing to Labour of 16.4 per cent.
Speaking this morning, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the circumstances surrounding the by-elections were “particularly challenging”.
But Sir Keir Starmer said the results of the by-elections show the public “want change”.
“These are fantastic results in Kingswood and Wellingborough that show people want change and are ready to put their faith in a changed Labour Party to deliver it,” he said.