‘It’s over’: Braverman concedes defeat in election as she says Tories need to prepare for ‘reality of opposition’
3 July 2024, 05:31 | Updated: 3 July 2024, 08:21
Suella Braverman said the General Election is "over" for the Tories just days before the General Election on Thursday.
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Writing in The Telegraph on Tuesday evening, Ms Braverman said the “writing is on the wall” and blamed Rishi Sunak for taking the Tories to the centre-ground.
Mr Sunak's former home secretary said the party needs to “prepare for the reality and frustration of opposition”.
“The fight for the soul of the Conservative party will determine whether we allow Starmer a clear run at destroying our country for good, or have a chance to redeem it in due course,” Ms Braverman said on Tuesday.
“Indeed, it will decide whether our party continues to exist at all.”
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In her article, Ms Braverman also blasted her party for keeping the money donated by Frank Hester, who said looking at Diane Abbott "makes you want to shoot all black people".
"Reform demonstrably failed to vet its candidates properly and these people should be nowhere near public life. I’ve been on the receiving end of racism myself and it’s right that the PM called it out," she said.
"But cries of hurt and anger look less powerful when the Conservative Party was perfectly happy to take the money from Frank Hester.
"Remarks about hating black women were glossed over in the name of filling our party coffers. I don’t follow the logic. Nor do the voters. Whatever “the smartest men in the room” might privately think, the public are not in fact mugs."
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It comes after a new poll by Survation - who predicted Theresa May's hung parliament result in 2017 - suggested Labour were 99% likely to win more than the 418 seats Tony Blair's Labour won in 1997.
It is understood Mr Sunak will resign immediately should the Tories slump to defeat in tomorrow's General Election.
Ms Braverman has been touted as a potential future leader of the Tory party, though is reportedly struggling to gather support among prospective MPs and candidates.
Other potential leadership candidates include Kemi Badenoch, who recently set up a ‘Kemi4leader’ website, and Penny Mordaunt, who ran after Boris Johnson quit in 2022.
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Steve Baker, a prominent Brexiteer, has been more open about his ambitions, throwing his hat in the ring on Monday when he spoke to Sophy Ridge on Sky.
“We’ve reached a position where we know Labour are most likely to come into power,” Baker said.
However, Baker is predicted to lose his seat, according to a number of polls. Badenoch and Mordaunt, who are running for re-election in North West Essex and Portsmouth North, have also been predicted to lose their seats in some polls.
