TORIES are considering speeding up their leadership election by a week to allow the new boss to respond to the Budget.
Reducing the contest by a week would also avoid it clashing with the US Election on November 5.
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Currently ex-PM Rishi Sunak is set to lead the Tory Budget charge ahead of the new leader being unveiled on November 2.
But some party elders want to allow the new Leader of the Opposition a chance to launch their leadership with reaction to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ feared tax grab.
The Treasury set the date of the Budget after the timetable to pick new Conservative boss was outlined.
Under the current plan an online ballot of members will open in early October once the six candidates have been whittled down to two finalists.
It’s due to close on Thursday October 31, but senior party figures are looking at bringing that forward by a week to October 24 with the winner crowned on Saturday 26 instead.
A Tory source said: “It makes no sense to have Sunak responding to Reeves, even though he would probably do a pretty good job.
“This is a big moment and the new leader should be the one to have it.”
