Analysis

Analysis: Rishi Sunak has (some) reasons to be cheerful despite crunch 1922 committee meeting

The Prime Minister held a scheduled meeting with Tory MPs on Wednesday.

Rishi Sunak met with Tory MPs on Wednesday evening in a move that sent jitters through parliamentarians and editors all wondering if this, at last, was it.

However, the Prime Minister’s meeting with the 1922 committee of backbench Conservative MPs was not some off the cuff rescue mission, but an event long in the diary.

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That’s not to say it isn’t significant. Mr Sunak knows that discontent is rife among his MPs, with many either plotting to replace him, or simply standing down.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reasons to believe he may stay in Downing Street a while longer.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reasons to believe he may stay in Downing Street a while longer.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reasons to believe he may stay in Downing Street a while longer.

Asked about the contents of the meeting, Downing Street framed it more as a call to arms, with the Prime Minister urging his MPs to take the fight to Labour.

Referencing Birmingham council, as he did at PMQs, Mr Sunak told MPs to pull together and ensure they don’t let Labour do to Britain “what they have done to Birmingham”.

He mentioned tax rises, cuts to arts and uncollected rubbish, with the state of the midlands city now a repeated frame of reference for Mr Sunak. The Prime Minister told MPs they had to do well in May’s local elections to prevent this, further underlining there will be no May general election.

This rallying cry comes with much discussion over his future, and whether he could be ousted. Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the house is said to be on manoeuvres, as is his security minister Tom Tugendhat.

While it is undeniable there are MPs seeking to replace him, speaking to MPs, there remains a widespread belief his position is strong, albeit not electorally.The meeting was punctuated with frequent banging on the desk, a sign of Tory approval, and MPs afterwards insisted there was no dissenting voices in the room.

Only two MPs have gone public with calls for him to be replaced, while several MPs on the right of the party have claimed plotters would be betraying their constituents. This includes Red Wall firebrand Jonathan Gullis, who gave a speech of support so loud it could be heard through the door.

There is also a belief in Downing Street that there are successes on the horizon. It was announced on Wednesday that UK inflation had fallen to its lowest level since September 21, with the rate dropping more than expected. Number 10 points to this as a sign the plan is working, and one that voters will feel as it improves further in the months ahead.

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Then there is the flagship Rwanda policy, which faces another parliamentary showdown as the Lords consider whether to hold the legislation up until after Easter. So far, all the amendments suggested from the other place were thrown out by MPs. If the Lord’s buckles to pressure, Mr Sunak could be able to stand at a podium with deportations to Rwanda happening, and inflation back at two per cent before the Autumn.

Even if the legislation is not passed until after Easter, Downing Street still believes the first planeload of asylum seekers could be heading to the east African country this spring.

Tory MPs are not optimistic, but also minded to wait. Achieving Mr Sunak’s pledges would go a long way, and add weight to his accusations that Labour do not have a plan.

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