But Mr Wallace’s message to the plotters was that it was “too late” to replace the Prime Minister.
He told Times Radio: “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.
“Rishi Sunak is the Prime Minister. He set out his plan. He set out his idea and vision, which I think is to effectively, quite rightly, fix the economy, get inflation down. If we get inflation down, we can see interest rates drop.
“Whether colleagues are happy with him or not, it’s too late. Get on with it. Stand up. And you know, at some stage this year, commit to engage in the general election and put our best case forward. There is no other alternative, and that’s just the reality of it.”
Mrs Badenoch, used to being at the centre of plotting speculation, also told rebels they must support Mr Sunak.
Asked on LBC Radio for her message to the rebels, she said: “I have said many times that people need to stop messing around and get behind the Prime Minister.
“But I think at this particular time it is really important that we remember that there are thousands of councillors all around the country who are going to be standing for election in May. We need people to focus on what they have been doing to help their local communities and not be obsessed with Westminster psychodrama.”
Mrs Badenoch also defended Ms Mordaunt, her Cabinet colleague, telling BBC Breakfast: “I’m sure if Penny was here, she would be distancing herself from those comments.”
Her words came as The Times quoted a “senior ally” of Mr Sunak’s as saying that the Prime Minister would be prepared to call a general election if rebels tried to trigger a formal leadership contest.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
