Rishi Sunak could reshuffle his Cabinet in the next 24 hours, defence secretary Ben Wallace has said.
“There is a rumour there is a reshuffle tomorrow or the day after,” he told the Future of Britain conference organised by Tony Blair in Westminster on Tuesday afternoon.
Wallace - who has announced he will leave government at the next reshuffle - said its timing “depends on who you talk to at the top of government”.
“I spoke to a very senior member of the civil service who said it is definitely happening this week,” he said.
“I spoke to a very senior member of the government, a minister, who said it’s not going to happen this week.”
Wallace added: “But it’s going to happen. Either this week or first week of September.”
It comes as Sunak prepares for the possible loss of three by-elections on Thursday ahead of the long summer parliamentary recess.
There are a number of names in the frame to replace Wallace at the Ministry of Defence.
Tom Tugendhat, the security minister, Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan and chief secretary to the Treasury John Glen have all been tipped.
Wallace also intends to quit parliament at the next election. His constituency of Wyre and Preston North has been abolished in a review of boundaries and he will not seek a new seat.
He had hoped to be chosen as the next secretary general of Nato, but his chances were scuppered after the United States decided not to support his bid.