Former minister Simon Clarke has ignited a fresh wave of Conservative infighting by publicly calling for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to step down before the next general election. In an incendiary op-ed for the Daily Telegraph, Clarke described Sunak's leadership as "uninspiring" and the "main obstacle to our recovery", warning that the party faces electoral "extinction" unless Sunak departs.
Clarke's intervention drew widespread condemnation from within his own party. Former minister David Davis dismissed the remarks as "silly", while Priti Patel accused Clarke of "facile and divisive self-indulgence" that only benefits Labour. Tory minister Andrew Bowie reportedly told Clarke to "get a fucking grip" in a party WhatsApp group. Even prominent Sunak critics like Liz Truss criticised the inflammatory language.
The attack is seen as part of a coordinated effort by a small group of Conservative donors and allies, including former cabinet minister David Frost, to undermine the prime minister. A former Sunak special adviser who quit last November helped commission a poll that Clarke cited in his article, suggesting a deliberate campaign to replace the leader.
Despite the backlash, the episode highlights deep divisions within the Conservative party as it enters an election year. Labour leader Keir Starmer mocked the turmoil, comparing it to "the longest episode of EastEnders ever put to film", while shadow minister Lucy Powell likened it to the reality show The Traitors.
Meanwhile, other news includes the Israeli military encircling Khan Younis in Gaza, a damning report on prison isolation of mentally ill inmates, Russia accusing Ukraine of downing a military plane carrying POWs, and a government plan to prioritise British citizens for social housing deemed potentially illegal.
