Angela Rayner has been on the media rounds today doing something very out of character; praising a Tory majority. She keeps on repeating that the Privileges Committee has a Tory majority, something which she usually condemns in her own colourful way as a bad thing. Today she has been citing it as evidence that their judgement can be trusted. Does this make you a tad suspicious?  

Here’s Guido’s guide to Angela Rayner’s praise-worthy Tories:

• When Charles Walker was widely criticised as an unsuitable to judge Boris, the MP well known for detesting Boris told the Daily Mail “I’m entirely relaxed about my position. If people want to suggest I’m biased against Boris, biased for Boris – people can say what they like. The great advantage I have over most candidates is that I’m leaving at the next election. I’m really beyond their reach.” Charles makes no bones about openly detesting Boris (and Guido).

• Sir Bernard Jenkin was a leading Brexiteer and Guido remembers him fondly. Unfortunately Bernard is not fond of Boris, in the days before his resignation from the premiership, Bernard told him he should leave with grace rather than being “forced out like Donald Trump clinging to power”. Which seems like he has already made up his mind. 

• Alberta Costa was and presumably still is a strong backer of Penny Mordaunt to become prime minister. He resigned from Theresa May’s government because he thought May was not protecting EU citizens rights in post-Brexit Britain, sounding very much like the remainy lawyer. Guido doesn’t think he was that keen on Brexit or Boris.
• Andy Carter on the other hand was elected in 2019 on the back of the Boris surge and has been frequently pictured with Boris. Guido found no evidence of him publicly criticising Boris. Privately however, in correspondence seen by Guido, Carter explained to a constituent
  

  “I made no public comment before the PM resigned his position because I sit in the committee which had been asked by the House of Commons to investigate if Mr Johnson had deliberately misled Parliament.  That inquiry has not concluded its deliberations.”
  

  Carter goes on to explain that his private view was that Boris “had no alternative but to stand down” saying he took “no pleasure from seeing Mr Johnson resign” but he thought Boris “had to step down.” That suggests Carter too might have formed a pre-conception…

Nigel Adams has just tweeted:

Yesterday, Selby Conservatives selected an excellent new parliamentary candidate.

I’ve today informed the chief whip that I will be standing down as a Member of Parliament with immediate effect.

It has been an honour to represent the area where I was raised, educated and I want to thank my constituents for their wonderful support since 2010.

Three by-elections…

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You’re either in front of Guido, or you are behind…

Boris Johnson is standing down as the Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, with immediate effect. His decision came in response to the verdict of the Privileges Committee, which recommended he be suspended from Parliament for 10 days and would pave the way for a by-election. Despite some evidence to the contrary, it looks like he jumped before he was pushed.

In an excoriating statement, Boris hit out at the “egregious bias” of the “kangaroo court“, which “had already expressed deeply prejudicial remarks” to his guilt, as well as MPs from all parties who have done “whatever they can” to ensure his removal from Parliament. Boris also included a not-so-subtle message for Rishi Sunak and the government:

“Our party needs urgently to recapture its sense of momentum and its belief in what this country can do.

We need to show how we are making the most of Brexit and we need in the next months to be setting out a pro-growth and pro-investment agenda. We need to cut business and personal taxes – and not just as pre-election gimmicks – rather than endlessly putting them up.

We must not be afraid to be a properly Conservative government.”

He’s not going down without a fight…

Read Boris’s full statement below:

Read More

Knighthoods:

• Conor Burns
• Simon Clarke
• Ben Elliot
• Michael Fabricant
• Will Lewis
• Jacob Rees Mogg

Damehoods:

• Andrea Jenkyns
• Amanda Milling
• Priti Patel
• Ann Sindall
• Shelley Williams-Walker

Peerages:

• Shaun Bailey
• Ben Gascoigne
• Ben Houchen
• Ross Kempsell
• Charlotte Owe
• Kulveer Ranger
• Dan Rosenfield

See more:

CCHQ has doubled-down on their attempt to stitch-up the safe seat of Chester South and Eddisbury. After failing to build local support, chicken running MP Keiran Mullan had re-opened the field to competition, however it didn’t stop the local party voting against his re-adoption. This didn’t bother CCHQ, who pressed ahead and shoehorned him into the final shortlist anyway…

Set to join Mullan in the final round is Warrington South MP, Andy Carter, who is launching his own charm offensive on the local party. Kieran Mullan has a tough task on his hands to make his chicken run a success, local activists aren’t happy with a perception that he’s tried to take credit for Edward Timpson’s work on a local hospital. The final shortlist is still to be decided, with selection to take place over the summer.

Alas, Guido hears Iceland nepo-baby Richard Walker has been frozen out of the contest by CCHQ as they only want “certain people” selected. Perhaps related to the fact he’s previously campaigned alongside Extinction Rebellion…