The Conservatives could call a snap election as early as October this year following the perceived success of ‘Wedge week’.
According to the i‘s Paul Waugh, allies of Boris Johnson are urging the prime minister to head to the polls soon, saying the time could be ripe in Q4 of this year.
Moves to unilaterally scrap parts of Northern Ireland’s Brexit deal have been hailed a success by ministers, despite the EU launching legal action and the threat of a potential trade war looming.
The Rwanda deportation flight is also believed to be a vote-winner, even though it failed to take off on Tuesday.
Two key by-elections will be contested this week, but talk among some MPs is that Johnson could turn his gaze to the bigger picture to sure up his position.
According to Waugh, some Tory political strategists think the Labour lead is “soft” and can be changed in the heat of a campaign that plays to Johnson’s strengths.
Fears that the economy could head into a recession in 2023 mean that the decision to go to the polls probably has to come in 2022 or wait until late in 2024, when the party’s reputation could be damaged.
An early election would also help the PM avoid the outcome of the privileges committee and the Covid enquiry, as well as another potential no-confidence vote from his own MPs.