Rishi Sunak could join up with Kemi Badenoch as ‘Kishi’ dream team in Tory leadership race, MPs claim

RISHI Sunak could team up with Kemi Badenoch to run on a dream ‘Kishi’ ticket, Tory MPs have said.

Rumours are rife that Tory machiavellian Michael Gove is secretly keen to broker the pact between the two leadership rivals.

Although Team Kemi furiously denied the claim.

One Tory told The Sun: “The hand of Gove is behind this.”

Kemi - a Tory rising star who got the hugely influential backing of Mr Gove for her bid -  is expected to be handed a big cabinet job in Rishi’s government if he wins.

But in a bombshell poll of Tory party members by the ConHome website, Kemi actually beat Rishi in the popularity stakes.

She came in at number two in the poll of 842 members - only behind Penny Mordaunt.

Rishi was number three.

A source close to Kemi said: “These are baseless rumours. Kemi is focused entirely on winning this leadership election and delivering the change that the country needs. 

“Given Kemi is second placed in today’s ConservativeHome Members Poll, she’s not thinking about supporting others, but is instead asking other candidates to support her.”

It comes as Rishi was forced to deny Boris hater Dom Cummings was advising him.

Ousted spin doctor Lee Cain also denied he was involved in Rishi's bid after letting one of his staffers go and work on the campaign.