The Return of the King at 100/1?
The i are reporting that
Tory rebels are understood to be mooting an unlikely plan for Lord Cameron to replace Rishi Sunak as prime minister to bolster the party’s chances of winning the next general election.
Sunak is bracing for a difficult week in the top job, with the Conservatives expected to lose two by-elections to Labour on Thursday and a gloomy economic update due to be published the same day.
It has sparked discussion among some right-wing MPs of attempts to launch another leadership election, amid concerns that a double defeat could weaken the Prime Minister’s position.
One MP told i that Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, has been floated by some Tory plotters as a potential “unity candidate” to lead the party into the general election.
While there is technically nothing stopping Cameron from returning to the helm, the move is thought to be highly unlikely – with Tory MPs privately expressing concern about the danger of stoking further political unrest.
When Rishi Sunak appointed I said it would be inevitable that people would start talking about His Excellency The Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton succeeding Sunak. I predicted that Cameron would tower over Sunak because Cameron has the gravitas and competence that Sunak lacks. Add in the fact Lord Cameron is the Tories best performing leader this century when using the net gains metric and people wishing Cameron to replace becomes inevitable.
The problem on Lord Cameron becoming Tory leader is that the Tory constitution says the leader needs to be a member of parliament and the current Tory party members are not the ones who elected Cameron in 2005 however there is a way to bypass this. Cameron could be the the Churchill to Sunak’s Chamberlain with Cameron becoming Prime Minister but not Tory leader.
Ladbrokes are offering 100/1 on Lord Cameron becoming Prime Minister before 2033, sadly I cannot see it happening but it sums up the pickle Sunak finds himself in that some want him replaced by a Lord.
TSE