Guido has been in contact with the Romford MP’s office this evening and the last time they answered the phone they hung up on us. Suffice to say, they will not be commenting tonight…
To the delight of Tory party patriots, Oliver Dowden has said that MP Andrew Rosindell’s campaign to re-introduce singing the national anthem at the Conservative Party Conference is a “splendid idea” and he will “have a look at it”. Speaking on GB News this morning, Rosindell noted the national anthem singing used to be a Tory party tradition, mirroring Labour’s usual Red Flag belting, before an identity crisis during the Blair years saw the tradition dropped. Will it transform Manchester into a Land of Hope and Glory?
Guido asked Dowden for his reaction to Rosindell’s campaign at a Telegraph fringe with Chris Hope. Chopper opened the event asking for Dowden’s response to Rayner’s now-infamous “scum” rant, gifting Dowden one of Dehenna Davison’s “Tory Scum” badges, which the new chairman gleefully donned.
Many conference-goers have spent the last couple of days asking Davison for one of her badges, only to be disappointed upon being told she’d run out. Good news however, after Davison put in an emergency order for 400 more given their popularity…
Andrew Rosindell MP has confessed he was sacked as a government trade envoy last night for voting against the latest swathe of Covid economic clampdowns, Tweeting:
“It puzzles me how @BorisJohnson can allow such a counterproductive and bizarre decision to remove me from office, simply for voting to keep our UK economy open for business…
“closing down whole sections of our economy, putting companies out of business, creating mass unemployment and taking away the freedom that British people cherish, is not the answer and it won’t work. Freedom with responsibility is what I thought @Conservatives stood for!
Rosindell is a sound Brexiteer, backed Boris for leader from day one, and will represent many of the Tory grassroots on this issue in particular. Perhaps not the savviest political decision from the Chief Whip’s office…
Read Guido’s definitive PPS, Chairman and Trade Envoy list here:
Tonight BBC 4 are airing a documentary showing the inside workings of the EU negotiating team. The Sun reports that at one point Guy Verhofstadt’s chief aide fawns over him after a conversation with Tory MP Andrew Rosindell, saying:
“I’m most proud of you when you take on a Tory… You should shoot* the f***ers out.”
Rozza tells Guido:
“I didn’t hear anyone say they were going to “shoot me”, but to be frank, I really couldn’t care less what this arrogant little man’s people have to say. We Brits and especially Essex folk are made of stronger stuff. If it’s true, he really needs to calm down and behave like a responsible politician . He represents a failing project and is obviously very bitter, but I will always defend Brexit and our great country against those that want to keep us locked under control of the EU!”
Good diplomacy job from Verhofstadt as ever…
*Could be shoo, audio is not clear.
Remainers have defaced a Christmas tree with EU flags in a Scrooge-like protest against both Brexit and festive good cheer. The unwanted decorations appeared on the tree in Romford town centre on Christmas Day. An EU flag was also pinned to the door of the council offices. Tory MP Andrew Rosindell suggested hard leftists were to blame. Peace on earth and goodwill to all men, so long as you didn’t vote Leave…
