A furiously spinning Team Hancock is pushing back on claims he was bounced into standing down over pressure from his local association. This afternoon, just hours after Hancock announced his intention not to stand again as an MP in West Suffolk, The i published details of a letter from the West Suffolk Tories arguing he is “not fit” to be an MP, and an officers’ group meeting had expressed no confidence in him. Even if the Conservative whip was eventually restored – as Hancock claimed it would be – the Association didn’t want him…

Team Hancock is now dismissing the letter entirely and insisting it has no merit. Apparently it had no bearing whatsoever on his decision…

A close ally of Hancock tells Guido:

“This letter is irrelevant. It hasn’t been sent on behalf of the Association, and the chief whip told Matt he was going to get the whip back. Matt had already decided not to stand again when it came to light.”

In theory, a no-confidence vote would need to come after an executive council meeting, rather than an Officers’ Group. Guido understands that Hancock’s decision to step down in 2024 doesn’t change the government’s existing line that any decision to return the whip is still entirely within the gift of Simon Hart, something a source refused to deny could still happen. Bizarrely, he could still return to the parliamentary party within the next two years… even with senior members of his own association declaring him unfit for the job.