Senior Tories clash over Braverman’s call for party to move further right

Ms Braverman appeared to confirm that an attempt to oust Rishi Sunak was over (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire)

Senior Conservatives are clashing over whether Rishi Sunak needs to move the party further to the right after a damaging set of local election results.

Outgoing West Midlands Mayor Andy Street urged the Prime Minister not to stray further to the right, and stick close to the political centre to stave off general election defeat as he lost his post in a narrow defeat to Labour.

But former home secretary Suella Braverman insisted “terrible” local election results, with the Tories losing 473 council seats so far and Labour taking all-but-one metro mayoralty, showed “the plan is not working”.

Ms Braverman urged Mr Sunak to “change course” and move rightwards with income tax cuts, a cap on legal migration and pulling the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Asked for her evidence of a need to shift further to the right, she told BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “The evidence is that people are not voting for what he is doing because they don’t believe that we are serious about some of these issues.”

Ms Braverman also appeared to confirm that any plot to oust Mr Sunak had fizzled out.

But her clash with Mr Street showed the party is now embroiled in a round of infighting over political direction and campaign strategy as it stares down the barrel of general election defeat.

After his knife-edge defeat on Saturday night, Mr Street told Sky News: “I would definitely not advise that drift (to the right).

“The message is clear: winning from that centre ground is what happens.”

Transport Secretary Mark Harper attempted to sidestep the debate as he gave broadcast interviews on Sunday.

He said Mr Street’s remarks were in line with Mr Sunak’s desire to “focus on the priorities of the British people”, including bearing down on inflation and stopping Channel small boat crossings.

When put to him that Mr Street had suggested more than that, Mr Harper told Sky News: “We are going to stick to focusing on the priorities that the Prime Minister set out, which are the Government’s priorities, the Prime Minister’s priorities but they are also the priorities of the British people.”

Mr Harper also insisted the Conservatives were still in with a chance of winning the next general election, despite the party’s local elections trouncing.

“There is everything to fight for and the Conservative Party under the Prime Minister’s leadership is absolutely up for that fight.”