Kevin McCarthy’s speaker bid in balance as effort to placate hardliners flops

Republican ‘Never Kevins’ say series of concessions to rightwingers are ‘insufficient’ to secure support

The final hurdle to Republican Kevin McCarthy’s years-long quest to secure the speaker’s gavel grew even more formidable on Monday as a sizable group of House colleagues from his own party said they were not yet ready to support him.

The nine Republican rebels made the announcement after the California congressman made a series of concessions on Sunday to try to shore up the support of conservative hardliners ahead of Republicans assuming control of the US lower chamber on Tuesday.