The Tories face an 'extinction level event' if they don't change course

Helen Harrison, Conservative candidate for Wellingborough, listens to Labor candidate Jen Kitchen (back) giving her winner's speech Photo: JOE GIDDENS/PA

The Conservative Party risks an «extinction-level event» at the general election unless it changes course, Rishi Sunak's Tory critics warn after double by-election defeats.

There were signs of gloom on the Tory benches on Friday morning and disappointment after the party lost both Wellingborough and Kingswood seats to Labor.

Andrea Jenkins, a Conservative MP, repeated her call for Sunak to be replaced by another leader. There were also private calls for dramatic tax cuts in next month's budget.

But the reaction on Friday morning was also notable in that few other Conservative MPs made public attacks, perhaps reflecting a resignation to the party's problems. which some of the Conservative backbenchers have expressed privately.

A source close to the group of Tory rebels plotting against Mr Sunak said: “When the government touts these results as better than expected, you know how far we've come.» we've sunk.

“The reality is that Labor is now heading for a huge victory and we have a rebel party polling above 10 percent on the right.”

“Second intervention by Nigel Farage With the general election just months away, we are facing an extinction level event. It's a slow-motion car crash.»

The latest comments were directed at Reform, the right-wing Conservative party with 13 per cent of the vote in Wellingborough and 10 per cent in Kingswood.< /p>