Tory civil war over 'soul of the party' intensifies amid calls for Nigel Farage to be brought back into the fold after election disaster - as candidates prepare to launch leadership bids
Panicking Tories are calling for Nigel Farage to be brought back into the fold as the Right and Left wings gear up to 'battle for the soul' of the party after the election disaster.
Leadership jockeying is already ramping up with the 121 remaining Conservative MPs facing potential existential decisions about what direction to take.
Suella Braverman, Kemi Badenoch, Priti Patel, Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat and Vicky Atkins are all expected to throw their hats in the ring.
There are fears that the contest will descend into another damaging civil war as moderates - who still look to dominate the Parliamentary rump - and right-wingers vie for control.
Veteran Edward Leigh has given a first taste of the clashes to come as he blamed immigration for the poll meltdown, saying Mr Farage and Reform should be 'invited to join' - despite other senior figures saying they would not accept him.
Hundreds of MPs lost their seats as Rishi Sunak was brutally evicted from Downing Street, with Keir Starmer now sitting on one of the biggest majorities in history.
The ex-PM posted on the WhatsApp group for the survivors today saying he was sorry and congratulating them on defying the 'national headwind'. He urged them to rest ready to go on the 'front foot' when the Commons returns next week.
Hundreds of MPs lost their seats as Rishi Sunak (pictured) was brutally evicted from Downing Street, with Keir Starmer now sitting on one of the biggest majorities in history
Dame Priti Patel, a former home secretary, is currently the third favourite to take over the reins
Business secretary Kemi Badenoch (right) and Suella Braverman (left) are among the other likely contenders
Nigel Farage, who was out and about in Essex today, has made no secret of his desire for Reform to supplant the Tory Party
Mr Farage, who was out and about in Essex today, has made no secret of his desire for Reform to supplant the Tory Party, even though it secured only slightly more votes than Ukip in 2015 and five MPs.
Asked who he would like to see as Conservative leader, Mr Farage said: 'Honestly, I don't think it matters who they pick as leader.
'This party is split down the middle, they call it a broad church, well, it's a broad church with no common shared religion.'
Asked whether she would be the next party leader, Ms Braverman told broadcasters outside her home this morning: 'No announcements. We've just got to take our time, we've got to figure out what the situation is.'
The former home secretary continued: 'It's been a really bad result. There's no two ways about it. Hundreds of excellent Tory MPs have been kicked out of office.'
Mr Sunak issued a grovelling apology yesterday and said he will stand down as leader once the arrangements are in place to find a successor.
Some Tories want him gone before the first PMQs in just under two weeks on July 17.
However, that could mean a caretaker as it would not allow enough time for a contest that involves party members, which many believe will be necessary.
Edward Leigh, the new father of the House after narrowly holding his Gainsborough seat, told the BBC that the Tories had been 'completely trashed in this election because the right wing vote is divided'.
He warned that the party had 'taken people for granted' and made the 'political mistake of not taking Reform-type voters seriously'.
Sir Edward said the Conservatives 'should have delivered properly on Brexit'.
'We should have stopped all this mass legal migration. Then we should have stopped the boats,' he said.
Sir Edward added: 'We've got to, I think, invite Reform voters and Farage to join us.
Senior Tory figures - including a record number of Cabinet ministers - lost their seats in an election bloodbath
Tory members have bemoaned of a 'Boris-shaped hole' in the party with the former PM a 14/1 outsider to become the Conservatives' leader again
'Because otherwise in five years' time, we are going to have a similar debacle.
'We can't have a divided right wing vote.
He added: 'I would absolutely welcome him in.
'If he wants to stand for leader, that would be a matter for our members.'
Tory members have bemoaned of a 'Boris-shaped hole' in the party and are a demanding a candidate to challenge Nigel Farage and succeed Rishi Sunak as the party's leader.
The battle lines were drawn before dawn broke yesterday when critics rounded on the ex-prime minister, as senior Conservatives lambasted him for failing to listen to voters and deliver on their priorities.
William Hague has fired an early warning shot to whoever next leads the party as he raised fears that a slim-lined frontbench would mean the party would struggle to form a 'viable' opposition.
Mr Sunak stood at the lectern in front of No10 Downing Street for the last time yesterday to issue a grovelling apology as he acknowledged the scale of the electoral mauling his party had received.
Edward Leigh, the new father of the House after narrowly holding his Gainsborough seat, told the BBC that the Tories had been 'completely trashed in this election because the right wing vote is divided'
