Following a poor performance in the recent local elections where the Conservative Party lost over 470 council seats, there is internal pressure for a major reshuffle within the party’s Cabinet. The elections saw the party underperform significantly, particularly losing positions in areas like the West Midlands and Blackpool South, while even a victory in the Tees Valley did little to offset broader losses.

In response to these election results, several Conservative MPs, including Sir John Hayes and Dame Andrea Jenkyns, have voiced the need for drastic changes. Sir John Hayes called for a diversification of views within the party, suggesting that Suella Braverman rejoin the Cabinet. Dame Andrea Jenkyns has pushed for the formation of a new “war Cabinet” and urged the return of Boris Johnson as party chairman to unify and steer the party in a more distinctively conservative direction.

Suella Braverman, the former Home Secretary, criticised the current party leadership for focusing on less critical issues, advocating instead for a focus on core matters such as healthcare and social care reforms. The combined criticism points towards a desire within the party to shift towards policies that resonate more effectively with the electorate.

Amidst these internal pressures and calls for a rightward shift, there are concerns that such a strategy might alienate centrist voters. The calls for a Cabinet reshuffle and a policy overhaul come as part of a broader push from within the party to avoid a predicted defeat in the forthcoming general election, with some voices even suggesting the need for an expedited national election to confront these challenges directly.