Conservatives not close to recognising ‘how badly placed they are’, says Gauke

Former minister says Tories are ignoring heartland voters and risk losing ground to Reform in next election

The Conservatives are “not close to recognising” how badly they are positioned for the next election, the former cabinet minister David Gauke has said.

Gauke, a former justice secretary who also worked in the Treasury under George Osborne, said many in the party were not willing to fully repudiate Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.