An Unholy Alliance Will Fail In Its Plot To Get Rid Of Sunak

"They want him out, and they don't care how much damage they do to the Conservative Party in the attempt. An unholy alliance of The Daily Telegraph, David Frost and unnamed "donors" are plotting to engineer a challenge to Rishi Sunak's leadership.

- JOHN RENTOUL

The front page of today's Telegraph is devoted to a YouGov poll that models current voting intentions in every constituency, which suggests that the Tories are heading for a "1997-style wipeout" and that 11 cabinet ministers will lose their seats.

According to the Telegraph, "the poll was commissioned by a group of Conservative donors called the 'Conservative Britain Alliance' and carried out by YouGov, working with Lord Frost". Frost has an opinion article on the newspaper's front page headlined "Stunningly awful poll must shake Sunak out of his complacency".

Frost was Boris Johnson's Brexit negotiator but he fell out with his boss because Johnson was, in Frost's opinion, insufficiently Brexity and not a true Conservative. He supported Liz Truss and would presumably now support someone such as Suella Braverman for the Tory leadership.

The timing of this expensive poll would seem to be aimed at the Rwanda bill, which will be debated in the Commons tomorrow and Wednesday. Paul Goodman, the Tory former MP who edits the Conservative Home website, said: "I smell a rat - or the seventh cavalry, depending on one's view."