Kemi Badenoch dismisses speculation about ousting Rishi Sunak

Conservative MPs speculating about ousting Rishi Sunak as prime minister should "stop it", Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has said.

Reports have been swirling in recent days that some Conservative MPs want Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt to replace him.

But Ms Badenoch told BBC Breakfast this was only "a small minority of MPs".

It comes after a difficult week for the PM, with former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson defecting to Reform UK.

Mr Sunak also faced criticism over the way he handled allegations of racist comments made by a major Tory donor.

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Asked about reports that support was gathering around Ms Mordaunt as a potential replacement for the PM, Ms Badenoch said: "I'm sure if Penny was here she would be distancing herself from those comments.

"I've been saying for a long time that the small minority of MPs who think that this is something to be talking about should stop it."

She added: "I don't think there is very much to these rumours... We need to make sure one or two MPs cannot dominate the news narrative, when 350 plus MPs have different views."

Currently only two Tory MPs have publicly called for Mr Sunak to resign - Sir Simon Clarke and Dame Andrea Jenkyns.

Asked about calls from some Tories for him to quit, the prime minister insisted his party was "united in wanting to deliver a brighter future for our country".

"I'm not interested in Westminster politics, it doesn't matter. What matters is the future of our country," he added.

Those close to Ms Mordaunt believe responding to rumours of a leadership plot publicly would give them more credence than they deserve.

Popular with the party's grassroots, she previously stood to be party leader in both contests in 2022.

As leader of the House of Commons, her public profile was raised when she played a key role in the King's Coronation, holding a ceremonial sword for more than an hour.

Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said it was "too late" to replace Mr Sunak as PM.

"There comes a moment in time in the electoral cycle where you effectively put on your best suit, you stand up and you march towards the sound of the guns and you get on with it," the Tory MP told Times Radio.

In an attempt to shift the focus to the economy, Downing Street issued a statement from Mr Sunak on Sunday night vowing that 2024 "will be the year Britain bounces back".

The PM said he hoped to see "more progress" on inflation when the latest official figures are released on Wednesday.

"There is now a real sense that the economy is turning a corner with all the economic indicators pointing in the right direction," he added.

However, some Tories are concerned the cut to National Insurance in the Budget failed to boost the party's poll ratings.

Penny Mordaunt had a key role at the King's Coronation last year

On Monday Mr Sunak also set out a series of reforms to create up to 20,000 more apprenticeships and cut red tape for small businesses at a conference in Warwickshire.

From 1 April, the government will pay the full cost of apprenticeships for people aged 21 or under at small firms, backed by £60m of new investment for next year.

Last week the prime minister came under pressure over his response to comments allegedly made by Tory donor Frank Hester about Diane Abbott.

Mr Hester, who has donated at least £10m to the party, reportedly said the MP made him want to "hate all black women".

The businessman apologised for making "rude" comments but said his words "had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin".

Downing Street initially declined to describe the remarks as racist but later did.

It came after Ms Badenoch, who also serves as equalities minister, had already said the comments, as reported, were racist and "appalling".

The PM has rejected calls from opposition parties to return the money Mr Hester has donated to the Tories, arguing he had apologised and his "remorse should be accepted".

Asked if she was comfortable with her party keeping the donations, Ms Badenoch said: "Yes… I thought that the comments were racist but he has apologised. I think when people apologise, we need to accept that and move on."

She added that the row was "a distraction" and "nowhere near the priorities of any of my constituents".