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4 months ago
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Tory minister Steve Baker is set to launch a bid to replace Rishi Sunak as party leader should the Conservatives lose next week's general election, it emerged today.
The 53-year-old joined other senior Tories in jostling for position ahead of a possible leadership contest by hinting he would run for the party's top job.
But Mr Baker - who once labelled himself the 'hard man of Brexit' - faces an immediate challenge in clinging on to his Wycombe constituency on 4 July.
He won the Buckinghamshire seat with a majority of less than 5,000 votes in 2019 and is facing a fierce challenge from Labour this year.
A string of polls have shown Mr Baker is set to lose in a week's time, while bookies have made Labour odds-on to win the constituency.
Mr Baker came under fire at the start of the election campaign when he jetted off to Greece for a holiday less than a week after the PM had called the date of the contest.
He later posted videos of himself sailing while in Vasiliki, as temperatures neared 30C in the beach resort.
Tory minister Steve Baker is set to launch a bid to replace Rishi Sunak as party leader should the Conservatives lose next week's general election
The Northern Ireland minister is expected to announce his intention to run for the Tory leadership if the party suffers a hammering on 4 July and Mr Sunak is forced to quit
Mr Baker came under fire at the start of the election campaign when he jetted off to Greece on holiday. He later posted videos of himself sailing while in Vasiliki
Mr Baker is expected to announce his intention to run for the Tory leadership if the party suffers a hammering on 4 July and Mr Sunak is forced to quit.
He said: 'One thing at a time. I want to represent the people of Wycombe the best that I can, as I always have done. Then let's see what happens.'
The Northern Ireland minister joins Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch and Home Secretary James Cleverly in hinting at a possible leadership bid.
Asked on Monday if she would take on the Tory leadership if she was among only a limited number of current Cabinet ministers left after the general election, she said: 'We need to focus on this election.
'The choice is going to be between us or between them (Labour). Be afraid if it is them, is all I would say.
'And we will talk about leadership things after an election, but not before.'
Her comments came after a trio of possible Tory leadership contenders made interventions over the weekend.
Ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick said the party was the 'natural home for Reform voters', and former home secretary Dame Priti Patel pressed the case for lower taxes in a rallying cry to voters.
Mr Cleverly left the door open to a leadership bid, telling Sky News: 'My focus is on getting myself and my colleagues re-elected.
'I want to try and make sure you've got enough MPs to form a Conservative majority.
'If that isn't the case, then we will deal with the circumstances as we find that. We want to make sure that if we do have to hold the Labour Party to account we'll do so.
'Leader of the Opposition is not a job people should aspire to. Being in government is a job people should aspire to. I've made that clear.
'I want to make sure we get as many Conservatives as we can.'
Last week, The Times reported that Mr Cleverly had told friends he does not plan to put himself forward for the Tory leadership after the election.
Ellie Reeves, Labour's deputy national campaign coordinator, said: 'While the Tories put their self-interest and leadership ambitions first, it's clearer than ever: if the Conservatives are given another five years, the chaos will just continue.
'This changed Labour Party is ready to serve the British people – country first, party second. The public has the chance for change with Labour if they vote for it on 4 July.'
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