Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch face pressure to stand aside to avoid fracturing the Tory Right

• Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch pressured to step aside in leadership race
• Pro-Brexit MPs warned potential candidates they have little chance of winning 
• MPs concerned they would split Right-wing of the Tories and Boris Johnson vote

Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch were under pressure last night to step aside to avoid splitting the Tory Right.

Brexit-backing MPs warned that the MPs stood little chance of winning the leadership contest, but could dent the chances of Boris Johnson.

Mrs Braverman, who was ousted as home secretary on Wednesday, was still trying to persuade Conservative MPs to back her yesterday.

Suella Braverman, who was ousted as home secretary on Wednesday, was still trying to persuade Conservative MPs to back her yesterday

She has yet to declare whether she will stand, but even close allies admit that she is unlikely to succeed – especially if Mr Johnson runs. 

Allies of Mrs Badenoch, the International Trade Secretary, said intensive discussions were continuing with colleagues across the party yesterday, but no formal bid had been launched.

One senior Tory said: ‘Both of them are going to be a little bit late to the party if they stand.

Allies of Kemi Badenoch, the International Trade Secretary, said intensive discussions were continuing with colleagues across the party yesterday, but no formal bid had been launched

‘I very much doubt whether Suella is going to stand, but if she did it would fragment the Right-wing vote.’

Referring to Mrs Braverman and Mrs Badenoch, another former Cabinet minister warned: ‘If Boris is standing, that’s like chucking a boulder in the pond and all the smaller fish will get washed aside.’

Brexiteer backbenchers in the European Research Group of Tory MPs will meet on Monday to discuss the candidates’ policies.

In the last Conservative election the vote from the Right of the party was split across several candidates. 

Mrs Braverman, pictured, previously promised ‘rapid and large tax cuts’ and the suspension of net-zero targets to deal with the energy crisis and pull the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Mrs Badenoch wanted lower taxes and ‘limited government’. 

She appeared to be targeting the anti-woke vote, complaining about ‘the shutting down of debate’ and stressing the need to ‘reinvigorate the case for free speech’.

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