Rishi Sunak, 15 ministers may lose in 2024 polls

London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and 15 of his Cabinet colleagues may lose their seats in a general election 'wipe-out', The Independent reported citing polling data.

Besides Sunak, Deputy PM Dominic Raab and Health Secretary Steve Barclay, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, Business Secretary Grant Shapps, Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt and Environment Secretary Therese Coffey could also lose their seats in the 2024 general election, an exclusive seat-by-seat analysis found by Focaldata polling for Best for Britain.

Only five Cabinet ministers, Jeremy Hunt, Suella Braverman, Michael Gove, Nadhim Zawawi and Kemi Badenoch, would be safe, The Independent report added.

The poll shows all other Tory MPs in the current cabinet are at risk of losing their seats to Labour, except Raab, who would lose to the Liberal Democrats in Esher and Walton, and Scottish secretary Alister Jack, on course for defeat by the SNP in Dumfries and Galloway.

A new analysis shared with The Independent on 10 crucial 'bellweather' seats shows that Labour is on course to take all 10. "Sunak's cabinet deserves nothing short of a wipeout," the news website quoted Naomi Smith, chief executive of Best for Britain, a group campaigning for internationalist values and for closer ties with the EU, as saying.

Despite the predicted setback for Sunak's party, analysis by Best for Britain has revealed that Labour's massive lead over the Tories could be more fragile than previously thought.

Sunak, the first person of Indian origin to become the British PM, meanwhile, is under increasing pressure including from members of his Conservative Party to improve wage offers to healthcare staff.