RISHI SUNAK is bracing for one of the toughest weeks of his premiership as Tory rebels plot to oust him in anticipation of disastrous local election results.

A group of his MPs have drawn up a “policy blitz” for a potential successor, compounding the Prime Minister’s woes days before his party is expected to suffer heavy losses in the local contests.

Names being floated around for his replacement include Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick.

The defection of Dan Poulter to Labour has prompted a faction of unhappy Tory MPs to release a five-point plan to follow the removal of Mr Sunak, with “quick-win” measures to turn the party’s fortunes around under a new leader before a general election.

The policies include reducing legal migration, cutting benefits, hiking defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP and giving junior doctors a pay rise of up to 12 per cent.

Mr Sunak sought to bolster his premiership last week with a flurry of announcements, including the passing of Rwanda asylum legislation, but Tory rebels said it was time to put an end to “broken pledges.”