Rishi Sunak urges Tories to ‘come together’ in plea for party unity that plays on the importance of ‘family’ amid ongoing rumours his predecessor Boris Johnson is plotting a political comeback

• PM used ConHome article to repeatedly highlight the importance of ‘family’ 
• Said party must ‘come together’ and show country it is Tories ‘who deliver’
• Allies of Johnson said return before next election ‘fanciful’ due to failure risk

Rishi Sunak has pleaded for Tory party unity in 2023 as supporters of his predecessor Boris Johnson denied a plot to return him to power.

The Prime Minister used an article for a Conservative website to repeatedly highlight the importance of ‘family’ as he set out his priorities for the year ahead.

He said that the Tories should ‘come together’ to show the public that they are the right party to be in Government despite 12 months of massive internal turmoil. 

It comes as some of Mr Johnson’s close allies in the Commons insisted talk of a political comeback for the former premier was ‘fanciful’ amid gloom at the party’s chances of keeping power.

They spoke out after other allies of the ex-PM – who only resigned six months ago – outlined plans to overhaul the Conservative Party’s rules to give grassroots members more control over the way leaders are chosen.

Multi-millionaire Tory donor and peer Lord Cruddas and David Campbell Bannerman, a former Ukip MEP, are fronting a new grassroots campaign known as the Conservative Democratic Organisation (CDO). 

Writing for Conservative Home today, Mr Sunak outlined his five key priorities for the year ahead in a similar fashion to his speech last week: halving inflation, increasing growth, cutting national debt, improving NHS waiting times and reducing the number of small boats crossing the channel. 

Signing off he then wrote: ‘The stability, love and support that family provides is something that we as a Conservative family recognise and cherish. 

The Prime Minister used an article for a Conservative website to repeatedly highlight the importance of ‘family’ as he set out his priorities for the year ahead.

It comes as some of Mr Johnson’s close allies in the Commons insisted talk of a political comeback for the former premier was ‘fanciful’.

Lord Cruddas (left), one of the Tories’ biggest donors, and David Campbell Bannerman, a former MEP, are fronting a new grassroots campaign known as the Conservative Democratic Organisation (CDO)

‘My own family has been an invaluable source of strength for me over the years, whether that’s the guidance my parents have given me and the examples they have set, or the love and support my wife and daughters give me every day.

‘It’s family that cares for us when we are sick or old; family that teaches us values, that guides us on what is right and wrong. Families of every form will be at the heart of my vision.

‘I don’t underestimate the scale of the challenges we face. But our party has steered this country through tough times before. Our values show us the way. So, let us come together and show this country in 2023 that it is Conservatives who deliver at every level of government.’

Cruddas and Campbell-Bannerman want a series of reforms to allow party members to ‘take back control’ by increasing their influence over matters such as policy and the selection of parliamentary candidates.

After two leadership elections in four months last year, following the toppling of both Mr Johnson and Liz Truss, the CDO also want to reinforce members’ say over who is the Tory leader.

They had tried to alter rules in the summer to allow Mr Johnson to run to replace himself as leader despite his resignation. 

Meanwhile, one of Mr Johnson’s ex-Cabinet ministers has warned the Tories will ‘die’ without bringing back Mr Johnson as leader.

In an article for the Mail on Sunday, former culture secretary Nadine Dorries wrote: ‘It should be no surprise to anyone that the thing the Labour Party fears most is the return of Boris Johnson.

‘Enough of their MPs let that slip at the time he was being removed as PM and were unable to contain their delight.’

She claimed that Mr Sunak would lead the Tories into the ‘long, cold and brutal wasteland of thankless opposition’, adding: ‘For the Conservatives, it’s bring back Boris or die because the first task of any Labour government would be to ensure that there’ll never be a majority Conservative government ever again.’

In an article for the Mail on Sunday , former culture secretary Nadine Dorries wrote: ‘It should be no surprise to anyone that the thing the Labour Party fears most is the return of Boris Johnson.

However another Commons’ ally of the ex-PM told the Times today that any effort by him to return to No10 before the next election would amount to a ‘kamikaze attack on the leader’ that would cost them the next election.

‘It was a mistake to get rid of him, but having another leader would be very divisive going into an election,’ they said.

‘Boris doesn’t like to fail, so I’m unsure he would even want it. He’s a brilliant political leader, but he’s not a magician. 

‘If the Tories were facing a 1997-scale defeat, would he really want to go down in history as the leader who took the Tories to one of their greatest victories and then led them to one of the worst [defeats]? I think he’ll leave that honour to Rishi.’ 

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