Rishi Sunak has urged the Tories to “come together” to argue for party unity amid rumors of a Boris comeback

Rishi Sunak has called for Tory party unity in 2023 as supporters of his predecessor Boris Johnson denied a plot to bring him back to power.

The Prime Minister used an article for a Conservative website to repeatedly stress the importance of “family” as he set out his priorities for the year ahead.

He said the Tories should “come together” to show the public they are the right party to be in government despite 12 months of massive internal unrest.

It comes as some of Mr Johnson’s close allies in the House of Commons insisted talk of a political comeback for the former Prime Minister was “fanciful” given the party’s bleak prospects for retaining power.

They spoke out after other allies of the ex-PM – who resigned just six months ago – outlined plans to overhaul Conservative Party rules to give grassroots members more control over the way leaders are selected will.

Multi-millionaire Tory donor and peer Lord Cruddas and David Campbell Bannerman, a former Ukip MP, are leading a new grassroots campaign known as the Conservative Democratic Organization (CDO).

Mr Sunak, writing for Conservative Home today, outlined his top five priorities for the coming year in a similar way to his speech last week: halving inflation, boosting growth, reducing national debt, improving NHS wait times and reducing the number of smaller ones Boats crossing the Channel.

Signing off, he wrote, “The stability, love and support that family provides is something we as a conservative family recognize and appreciate.

The Prime Minister used an article for a Conservative website to repeatedly stress the importance of “family” as he set out his priorities for the year ahead.

It comes as some of Mr Johnson’s close allies in the House of Commons insisted talk of a political comeback for the former Prime Minister was “imaginative”.

Lord Cruddas (left), one of the Tories’ biggest donors, and David Campbell Bannerman, a former MEP, are leading a new grassroots campaign known as the Conservative Democratic Organization (CDO).

“My own family has been an invaluable source of strength to me over the years, whether it’s the guidance my parents gave me and the role models they gave me, or the love and support my wife and daughters show me every day.

“It is the family that takes care of us when we are sick or old; Family that teaches us values, that guides us what is right and what is wrong. Families of all shapes and sizes will be at the heart of my vision.

“I do not underestimate the magnitude of the challenges we face. But our party has led this country through hard times before. Our values ​​show us the way. So let’s come together and show this country in 2023 that it’s the Conservatives who are delivering at all levels of government.”

Cruddas and Campbell-Bannerman want a series of reforms designed to allow party members to “take back control” by increasing their influence over matters such as politics and the selection of parliamentary candidates.

After two leadership elections in four months last year, following the ousting of Mr Johnson and Liz Truss, the CDO is also looking to give members a say in who the Tory leader is.

They had tried to change the rules over the summer to allow Mr Johnson to run to replace himself as leader despite resigning.

Meanwhile, one of Mr Johnson’s former cabinet ministers has warned the Tories will “die” without bringing Mr Johnson back as leader.

In an article for the Mail on Sunday, former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries wrote: “It should come as no surprise that what Labor fears most is the return of Boris Johnson.

“Enough of your MPs missed that when he was removed as prime minister and couldn’t contain their joy.”

She claimed Mr Sunak was leading the Tories into the ‘long, cold and brutal wasteland of ungrateful opposition’, adding: ‘For the Conservatives it is bring Boris back or die because the first task of any Labor government would be ensuring that there ‘will never again be a Conservative majority government.’

In an article for the Mail on Sunday, former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries wrote: “It should come as no surprise that the Labor Party’s greatest fear is the return of Boris Johnson.

However, another Commons ally of the ex-PM told the Times today that any attempt by him to return to No. 10 before the next election would be a “kamikaze attack on the leader” that would cost her the next election.

“It was a mistake to get rid of him, but having a different leader would be very divisive ahead of an election,” they said.

“Boris doesn’t like to fail, so I’m not sure he would even want to. He’s a brilliant political leader, but he’s no magician.

“If the Tories faced defeat in 1997, would he really want to go down in history as the leader who led the Tories to one of their greatest victories and then one of their worst? [defeats]? I think he will leave that honor to Rishi.”