Tory rebels hatch plan to oust Rishi Sunak and hold ‘papal conclave’ to anoint Penny Mordaunt PM in just one afternoon

ANTI Rishi plotters want to hold a “papal conclave” of Tory MPs to anoint Penny Mordaunt the new PM within weeks.

MPs on the Right and Left of the Conservative Party have been holding secret talks about toppling Rishi Sunak and uniting behind Ms Mordaunt as leader.

The bombshell move would mean Britain would have its FOURTH Tory PM in as many years.

The Sun on Sunday can reveal rebels have drawn up a secret blueprint to hold a quick “shotgun” leadership election. 

The next Tory leader and PM could be appointed in just one afternoon, they reckon. 

Rebels were going to pounce and try to get rid of Mr Sunak if they got a pounding in the local elections in May.

But Rishi is now seen as so weak they could bring forward their plans

A rebel source said: “Right now, anything would be better than our dear leader. There is talk of a Tory papal conclave.

“All Tory MPs will be locked in a room. Nobody will be allowed to come in or out, and they will vote in knockout rounds until there is white smoke and just one person is left standing as leader.”

Rightwing Tories plotting to topple Mr Sunak had originally wanted Kemi Badenoch to replace him.

They feared that Penny was too woke and soft on trans issues to be PM.

But they now are happy to support her - although they want her to subcontract social issues out to the Right of the party.

A rebel said: “There is an emerging sense that if it is - stick with Rishi or twist to Penny - the Right would be happy to twist with Penny.

“There has been a vibe shift this week.”

A former minister who is no fan of Penny said: “I would prefer Penny over Rishi - anyone would be better.

“I would 100 per cent get behind a Penny coronation over Rishi. If that is what it takes, that is what it takes.”

It is the “men in grey suits” in the Tory party’s 1922 Committee that decides how to run a party leadership contest.

But rebels said they thought the committee would “be amenable” to the plan.

Mr Sunak can only be forced out as PM if 53 Tory MPs send in no confidence letters and he loses a confidence vote of his parliamentary party.

But rebels reckon he is so weak that one Cabinet resignation could be enough to pile pressure on him to resign.

One said: “If Penny Mordaunt wants to be Tory leader, she should resign.”

Last night sources close to Ms Mordaunt scrambled to distance her from the plot.

A Tory MP close to Penny said: “I don't think Penny is anywhere near this plot.”

Another source close to Penny said: “This is being briefed by people  who know it is unhelpful to Penny and unhelpful to the PM.

A third said: “Penny is an incredibly loyal and hardworking minister. None of this briefing is true and it is not helpful to the government.”