MPs have suggested ministerial ‘quad’ could replace PM Liz Truss

London, Oct 19

Tory MPs have suggested a 'quad' of four senior ministers replace UK Prime Minister Liz Truss as the party struggles to line up a single successor who can unite the party, media reports said.

Backbenchers have suggested that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, his predecessor Rishi Sunak, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, and Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt could come together to run the government, Daily Mail reported.

But they admitted this might be a problem, with talks between several of the quartet yet to get off the ground amid reports they cannot agree on what roles to take.

Hunt and Wallace have distanced themselves from running to be replacement PM, while Mordaunt's allies are said to have failed to recruit Sunak to be her Chancellor because he wants to be PM, Daily Mail reported.

One Tory MP told the newspaper that "no one can get their egos in check", but an ex-minister insisted: "We are edging towards the dream scenario. Jeremy is a stable chancellor, with Penny and Rishi and possibly a Boris continuity figure like Ben Wallace, forming a quad who can command some respect. They can each keep their troops in line, and we knuckle down".

It came as former minister Michael Gove said that Truss's days are numbered.

In remarks reported by the Guardian, he told an event: "The question for any leader is what happens when the programme or the platform on which you secured the leadership has been shredded."

A poll found on Tuesday that more than half of Tory members want her to quit, with Boris Johnson the favourite to take over.

A bombshell YouGov survey revealed four in five party activists thought the PM was doing a bad job and 55 per cent were convinced she should go, compared to just 38 per cent who backed her staying, Daily Mail reported.

--IANS