The Conservative Party is braced for a mass exodus of MPs after two more senior figures announced they would not be standing at the next general election.
Senior backbencher William Wragg and former work and pensions secretary Chloe Smith became the latest to announce they will not run again as an MP at the next election.
MPs have been given a 5 December deadline for MPs to tell Tory headquarters (CCHQ) whether they plan to run at the election in 2024, The Independent understands.
They are predictions as many as 80 Tory MPs may decide to depart, with many facing an uphill battle to keep their seats as a resurgent Labour party rides high in the polls.
Tory polling guru Lord Hayward said that there were “usually there are 30 or 40 retirements at an election, but it may be slightly higher than that next time, influenced in part by boundary changes”.
One MP told The Times they expected up to 80 could leave parliament, saying even some of those facing close-but-winnable battles in their constituency may quit if it looked like Labour would win a majority.
Work and pensions secretary Mel Strike said on Wednesday the party was now expecting “a lot of the decisions crystalise in a very short period of time”.
Asked about the prospect of a major turnover of Tory candidates, Mr Stride told Sky News: “I think what has triggered it in the immediate term is the party has to take a decision within the next couple of weeks.”
Mr Wragg, chairs of the public administration select committee, has held the Greater Manchester seat of Hazel Grove since 2015 after talking it from the Lib Dems. He holds a majority of just over 4,000.
In a tweet announcing his intention to step back, he said: “I shall continue to represent constituents to the best of my ability in the meantime and thank everyone for their wonderful support over the years.”
Mr Wragg was a fierce critic of Boris Johnson, and describing the then-prime minister’s position as “untenable” in January. Mr Wragg also publicly demanded that Liz Truss quit in October, after her mini-budget sparked financial turmoil.
Ms Smith, who served in the cabinet role during Ms Truss’s brief tenure in No 10, has held the marginal Norwich North constituency since 2009, with majorities of around 4,000.
“I have been honoured to be Norwich North’s MP,” she tweeted on Tuesday. “In 2024, after 15 years of service, it will be the right time to step back, for me and my young family.”
Veteran Tory MPs Sir Charles Walker and Crispin Blunt have previously announced that they will stand down ahead of the next election.
Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak faces pressure from some Tory MPs over tax rises in the autumn Budget and reports that his government is considering “Swiss-style” alignment with the EU.
There is speculation that the prime minister could reshuffle his cabinet early next year, with some MPs suggesting that Mr Sunak could even axe his chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
It comes as opinion polls have shown the Tories face an uphill battle at the next general election, which is expected in 2024 and must take place in January 2025 at the latest.
Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called for an immediate general election following months of “chaos” under the Tory government.
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