Iain Duncan Smith fears Tories will fail to fully get behind leader

‘Party seems to have a death wish’: Iain Duncan Smith fears Tories will fail to fully get behind new leader amid turmoil of changes at the top

  • Warning Tories could face over a decade in opposition if MPs fail to back victor
  • Sir Iain served as Tory leader between September 2001 and November 2003
  • He was forced to step down after losing a vote of no confidence of 75 votes to 90

Sir Iain Duncan Smith questioned yesterday whether anyone could lead the Conservative Party in its current ‘split and divided’ state.

The former Tory leader said his colleagues ‘seemed to have a death wish’ and could face over a decade in opposition if MPs fail to back whoever is elected this week.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Sir Iain said: ‘I desperately want my party to settle down… I just question whether any leader is going to be supported in quite the way they should be.’

The former Tory leader said his colleagues ‘seemed to have a death wish’ and could face over a decade in opposition if MPs fail to back whoever is elected this week

Sir Iain, himself ousted by his party after only two years as leader, later told the Mail: ‘It’s not the leaders who I have a problem with, it’s my own parliamentary party which seems to have a death wish. We are so split and divided and already some of my colleagues are suggesting they won’t support the result of this election. It’s ridiculous behaviour.’

Last night the Chingford and Wood Green MP was yet to declare which candidate he would back. 

But he vowed to support ‘anyone who is elected’, adding: ‘We can’t mess around any longer.’

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Sir Iain said: ‘I desperately want my party to settle down… I just question whether any leader is going to be supported in quite the way they should be’

He said: ‘The last time the Conservative party was in this state, we were out of power for 13 years.

‘That could absolutely happen again.’

Sir Iain previously served as leader between September 2001 and November 2003, when the Tories were in opposition.

He was forced to step down after losing a vote of no confidence of 75 votes to 90.

Speaking before Boris Johnson’s announcement that he would not stand in the race, Sir Iain discussed the merits of Johnson and Rishi Sunak.

He told the BBC that Mr Johnson was a ‘phenomenal campaigner’.

However, he said the upcoming Partygate probe could hinder the former Prime Minister’s chances of a comeback.

‘The problem is going to be how many of his colleagues are going to decide whether to support him if it gets into a difficult position, ‘ Sir Iain said.

‘On the Rishi front, you’ve got someone who has demonstrated he is strong on administration, but the jury is out as to whether or not he is a great campaigner.’

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