OTTAWA—Andrew Scheer is hoping for a “clear mandate” when his party’s grassroots gathers in Toronto in April to decide the Conservative leader’s political fate.

But what’s not clear is what a “clear mandate” would actually look like.

Scheer has faced a week of open speculation about whether he can continue as the Conservative party’s leader after last week’s disappointing election results.

After a failed campaign, the Conservative party is required to hold a vote on launching a leadership race.

If more than half of the delegates vote in favour next April, the party would be plunged into its second leadership contest in four years.

That would also make Scheer the second rookie leader to be turfed by their party after a disappointing first election, with Thomas Mulcair losing the NDP top job in a 52-48 vote in 2016.

When asked what level of support he’d need to stay on as Conservative leader, a spokesperson for Scheer would only say he’s hoping for a “clear mandate” from the party’s grassroots to “lead the party into the next election.”

In a statement to the Star, spokesperson Simon Jefferies noted an election “could come at any time” now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leads a minority government.

“In the meantime, Mr. Scheer is focused on returning to Ottawa with a larger and stronger Conservative team in order to fight for Canadians and hold Justin Trudeau’s minority government to account,” Jefferies wrote.

That Conservative team began to arrive in Ottawa Tuesday, as rookie MPs began two days of orientation sessions on their new life in the capital. Scheer is expected to address the full Conservative caucus next week — a closed-door session that could prove difficult for Scheer, with some MPs openly criticizing the campaign.

Before facing caucus, Scheer has convened a meeting of senior MPs in Ottawa, a Conservative source confirmed to the Star. The two-day meeting, first reported by Global News, includes MPs considered close to Scheer — Mark Strahl, Chris Warkentin, Alain Rayes, Candice Bergen, John Brassard, and former deputy leader Lisa Raitt, among others.

The source said the purpose of the meeting is to “plan for caucus” and the upcoming House sitting, including new tactics to hold a minority Liberal government to account.

While Scheer and his team point to winning the national popular vote and picking up 22 more seats, the campaign actually lost ground in the GTA and Quebec — two regions crucial to Conservative chances at forming government.

According to an analysis in Maclean’s magazine, the Conservatives lost their share of the popular vote in 47 of 55 ridings in Toronto and the 905 — even compared to their support in 2015’s election loss.

Since the results last week, Scheer has faced intense — but largely anonymous — criticism from within Conservative circles on his failure to capture more ridings east of Manitoba. While some suggest he should step down and others actively agitate against his leadership, nobody has stepped forward to publicly challenge the six-term Regina MP.

The decision on holding another leadership contest is conducted by secret ballot, with each delegate attending next April’s party convention in Toronto getting a chance to cast their vote.

It’s rare in federal politics for leaders to actually lose a confidence vote from their party — with unpopular leaders typically seeking the exit before delegates have a chance to choose their fate for them.

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Stephen Harper faced a vote at the party’s convention in 2005, winning an endorsement of 82 per cent of delegates — enough to stay on and win the next general election in 2006.

Joe Clark, however, decided to call a leadership contest after winning just 66.9 per cent support from delegates at the Progressive Conservatives’ 1983 convention. The former prime minister would go on to lose his job to Brian Mulroney.

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