'Tories face extinction if they stick to PM plan'

After two shock by-election defeats ex-chairman warns:

- Jonathan Walker

THE Tories face "extinction" in a general election unless Rishi Sunak changes course, a former party chairman warns today.

Jake Berry said two Conservative by-election defeats were "as grim as it gets" after Labour overturned an 18,540 Tory majority to win in Wellingborough and a 11,220 majority to seize Kingswood.

The red-wall Tory MP said: "To be clear, what Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives are facing is a potential extinction event rather than a defeat."

Mr Sunak last night repeated his pledge to "stick to the plan". But Mr Berry said: "Telling the British people you have a plan only works at the ballot box if it's the same plan as your voters want. As Conservatives we need to take a good hard look at what we are offering.