Philip Hammond mooted as 'caretaker' PM amid speculation over Theresa May's future
3 min read
Ministers are calling for Philip Hammond to take control of Britain as a 'caretaker' prime minister amid speculation over Theresa May's future, a new report has said.
Some want the Chancellor in charge before the Conservative party conference as long as he agrees to step aside after two years, according to the Sunday Times.
But a separate report in the Sunday Telegraph says Tory MPs and donors are eager to "skip a generation" and look to the 2010 intake of top MPs for a successor to the under pressure Prime Minister.
Mrs May has faced questions over whether she can still command authority as leader after the humiliating loss of her party's Commons majority in the snap general election.
Her woes were compounded by what was widely seen as a lacklustre response to the tragedy at Grenfell Tower, alongside a stuttering start to Brexit negotiations.
A new Panelbase poll for the Sunday Times puts Labour five points ahead of the Tories on 46%. Crucially, Mrs May’s personal approval rating stands at -17, compared with +17 for Jeremy Corbyn.
The paper says colleagues want Mr Hammond to take over as an interim prime minister - but his call for a soft Brexit is likely to concern some in the party.
A suggested solution would be for the Chancellor to appoint Brexit Secretary David Davis as deputy prime minister and make clear he will step aside for a new face in two years.
One minister told the paper: “I think Philip is the only plausible candidate for a couple of years, with DD [David Davis] running Brexit. He is a more credible caretaker than the current prime minister.
“The PM’s brand is so damaged it is painful. The calculation that people are beginning to make is that she is so inadequate we can’t wait two years with her in place.”
But the plan is not backed in all quarters, with an ally of Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson telling the paper: “Hammond would bury us.
“He comes across as uncaring and cold, a ‘can’t do’ politician when the public wants a ‘can do’ figure. If he wanted to be the cabinet secretary instead I would be delighted.”
'YEAR ZERO'
Meanwhile, others have said the likes of Mr Johnson and Mr Davis have “had their day” and the party must look to younger MPs to put itself back on track, the Sunday Telegraph reports.
Sources told the paper the leadership should be passed to one of the high-achieving 2010 intake such as Business Secretary Sajid Javid or International Development Secretary Priti Patel.
One MP said: “If and when this happens, we need Year Zero – a real radical revolution…
“We need an equivalent to [Scottish Tory leader] Ruth Davidson – someone completely counter-intuitive. She is a lesbian kick-boxer who doesn’t fit the mould.
“When she first got elected she didn’t have much cut through. But because they are new and different it will gather stream.”
DUP CONSENSUS AND WILLIAM HAGUE
In a further blow to her authority Mrs May is being forced to consult her six most senior ministers about any ‘confidence and supply’ deal she strikes with the DUP to keep her in power, according to the Sun on Sunday.
Elsewhere the paper says she has called on ex-foreign secretary William Hague to help steer her administration as part of a newly expanded inner circle of advisors.
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