Senior Tory admits the party could face triple by-election defeat

Rishi Sunak could suffer a triple by-election blow, a Government minister has admitted, as the Tories brace for defeat on Thursday.

Labour is targeting Uxbridge and South Ruislip in a contest triggered by the resignation of Boris Johnson and Selby and Ainsty, which is vacant after Nigel Adams quit after failing to get a peerage in the former prime minister’s resignation honours.

In Somerton and Frome, the Liberal Democrats are pulling out all the stops to overturn a 20,000 majority after David Warburton quit following an admission of cocaine use.

Nuclear energy minister Andrew Bowie conceded the Tories could lose all three seats.

“Of course it’s possible we could lose all three – but it’s also possible that we might win all three,” he told Times Radio.

“I’m an optimist, I’m a Scottish Conservative and Scotland football fan – I have to be an optimist.”

Defeats on Thursday would increase pressure on the Prime Minister to act decisively to revive Tory hopes ahead of a general election expected next year.

He is expected to carry out a Cabinet reshuffle later this year – with jostling already under way for the post of Defence Secretary following Ben Wallace’s decision to stand down.

Mr Wallace said on Tuesday that he had heard rumours that a reshuffle could be brought forward to as soon as Wednesday.

Speaking at a Future of Britain conference organised by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, he told an in-conversation event: “There is a rumour that there is a reshuffle tomorrow or the day after.”

Pushed on the reshuffle suggestion later during the talk, the senior Conservative politician added: “It depends who you talk to at the top of Government.

“I spoke to one very senior member of the Civil Service who said it is definitely happening this week, I spoke to a very senior member of the Government, a minister, who said it is not going to happen this week.

“But it is going to happen. Either this week or the first week of September.”

Downing Street has said there are no plans for a shake-up this week.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey was making a campaign visit to Somerton and Frome on Tuesday.

“Somerton and Frome can send Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party a message on Thursday,” he said.

“Enough is enough, the Conservative party soap opera must end. The Conservative Party is simply not fit to govern this country.”