Sunak is facing a third by-election after the former minister quit parliament

Rishi Sunak faces three challenging by-elections in the coming weeks after former UK cabinet minister Nigel Adams announced he would quit the House of Commons immediately.

Adams’ decision sparked immediate speculation about a coordinated effort to undermine the Downing Street incumbent – an ally of former prime minister Boris Johnson.

Sunak’s Conservative Party will also have to defend seats already held by Johnson and another of his supporters, Nadine Dorries, who both resigned as MPs on Friday.

A Tory insider said on Saturday that “there will be problems if we don’t do well” in the by-elections, describing them as the first major test of Sunak’s leadership.

The person said, “The mood in the party was already not good and it will disturb people”.

Another Tory man said: “It’s a headache – I think in the long run it might be a little better for them (Sunak’s team) not to have Boris, but it’s marginal because he’ll snipe from the sidelines “

Adams enjoyed an overwhelming majority of 20,137 votes in his seat of Selby and Einstey, which he has held since its creation in 2010.

But the shocking results of Britain’s by-election can come. The Tory party has lost several seats in Tiverton and Honiton, North Shropshire and a huge majority in Chesham and Amersham over the past two years.

Many of Johnson’s supporters have never forgiven Sunak for resigning as chancellor nearly a year earlier, a move that sparked a sweeping coup by ministers that forced the then-prime minister out of office.

“The counter-coup is now well underway,” said David Bannerman, a former Tory MEP. “The fad is on borrowed time. Expect other bypolls.

Sir Simon Clarke, a former cabinet minister who was given a knighthood by Johnson on Friday, pointedly described Adams as “loyal to the last”.

But a Tory MP said: “Boris and Nadine are selfish and they have lost. It’s all because of malice.

A second Conservative MP said it “feels like the death knell of support for Boris in Parliament”.

Adams’ resignation came just hours after Johnson announced his resignation in protest at what Johnson called a “kangaroo court” privileges committee, which is set to deliver a verdict on men lying to MPs about lockdown parties in Downing Street.

Johnson said on Friday night he was leaving parliament “for now” because he believed the committee, which has a Conservative majority, would “job a political hit” against him after passing its initial findings this week. was increasing

Earlier on Friday, Downing Street published Johnson’s resignation honours, which he used to reward colleagues with peerages, knighthoods and other awards.

A group of four Johnson-supporting Tory MPs – including Adams and Dorries – had been expected to gain peerages, but some allies believe they will be pushed by Number 10 to avoid by-elections. was blocked. Downing Street has denied any direct involvement of Sunak.

Former culture secretary Dorries quit on Friday, leading to an imminent by-election in her constituency of Mid Bedfordshire, where she has a majority of 24,664.

The Conservatives will defend an even narrower majority of 7,210 in Uxbridge, Johnson’s former seat in west London, raising hopes that Labor will seize that constituency.

The other two Tory MPs who were expected to be given a peerage – but were not – were Scottish Secretary Alister Jack and Alok Sharma, the former COP26 president.