Penny Mordaunt and Lee Anderson among Tory big beasts facing losing seats – poll
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Penny Mordaunt and Lee Anderson are among Tory big beasts facing losing their seats if a general election was held today, according to detailed new polling.
The YouGov poll of 14,000 people predicts the Tories will hold just 169 seats with Labour sweeping to power.
The Commons leader’s Portsmouth North constituency and the outspoken Conservative Party deputy chairman’s Ashfield seat in the Red Wall would both go to Labour, the polling suggests.
Ms Mordaunt is among 11 Cabinet ministers at risk of being ousted, the research reported by The Telegraph shows.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and veterans minister Johnny Mercer also face losing their seats.
Mr Hunt’s South West Surrey constituency will no longer exist due to boundary changes but he would lose his new constituency in the so-called Blue Wall to the Lib Dems.
Mr Shapps, who represents Welwyn Hatfield, and Mr Mercer, who has been Plymouth Moor View’s MP since 2015, would both see them go to Labour.
Other Cabinet ministers facing losing their seats to Sir Keir Starmer’s party are Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Attorney General Victoria Prentis, Welsh Secretary David TC Davies and chief whip Simon Hart.
The polling suggests that Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk’s constituency will be swiped by the Liberal Democrats.
And Scottish Secretary Alister Jack would see his seat go to the embattled SNP.
Other prominent Tory MPs the poll put at risk are former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Thatcherite Sir John Redwood.
Rishi Sunak played down the polling suggesting that the Tories could be on course for a 1997-style wipeout at the next general election.
The Prime Minister insisted that the only poll that matters “is the one when the general election comes”.
He said: “There have been lots of polls over the last year, there will be hundreds more polls.
“The choice at that election is clear, it’s stick with our plan that is working, it’s delivering change for people, ensuring they can have the peace of mind that there is a brighter future for their children and we can have renewed pride in our country.”