Caroline Dinenage has been elected chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, defeating Damian Collins and Damian Green in the first round of voting with 198 votes of the 384 cast. Dinenage succeeds Julian Knight, who (reluctantly) stood down over sexual assault allegations. Even with more men called Damian in the contest than women, Dinenage still won. Congratulations!
Newly installed Tory chairman Greg Hands has been forced to clarify that CCHQ stands behind all serving Conservative MPs, as the wets face blowback from their decision to dethrone Boris.
Yesterday, Guido revealed that Kent’s Damian Green – chair of the One Nation Conservative caucus in parliament – had been rejected by the new Weald of Kent constituency executive as their candidate. Local sources told Guido this was very much connected to his decision to oust Boris last year…
After going to pixel, Green tweeted that he was “disappointed not to have been adopted” and is now thinking about what to do next. Greg Hands added “we stand behind our MPs… [Damian] has our full support.”
The grassroots group Conservative Democratic Organisation hit back at Hands, with chairman David Campbell Bannerman pointing out CCHQ “can’t control everything”
“These MPs are now being held to account and being made accountable for a coup that has crashed the party in the polls. Those who turned on Boris Johnson are being punished. This deselection is hard evidence of this being real”
CDO CEO Claire Bullivant added, “There are 60 MPs who are probably getting worried. It’s hard to see how those who stabbed Boris in the back will ever be forgiven by the members. In every Conservative WhatsApp group, chat room, social media thread… the members’ revolt is very real and their disenchantment is growing.”
Damian Green’s failed selection follows Hastings & Rye rejecting the reselection of Sally-Ann Hart – another wet who backed the coup against Boris. There’s a trend here. Is your local branch having a selection meeting soon? Get in touch…
The revenge of the membership continues. Prominent anti-Boris activist Damian Green has been rejected by the new Weald of Kent Constituency Executive as their candidate. Originally neighbouring MP Helen Grant had put her name forward as well. After a conversation with Damian Green, presumably to agree a stitch up for another neighbouring seat, she withdrew her candidature. Despite knocking out the competition things did not pan out well for the super-wet Damian.
The chair of the One Nation Caucus- which claims the support of a third Tory MPs – was active in efforts to destabilise and dethrone Boris. According to Guido sources this was the main factor in his rejection as a candidate after a quarter of a century in parliament. Neither his penchant for watching porn in the office or inappropriate handsy behaviour with young woman were to blame for his downfall according to a Guido source. The selection of an MP now has to go to the wider constituency membership and Green will not be precluded from putting his name forward. It would be unwise of him to do so unless he wants more humiliation.
This follows the rejection of Sally Ann-Hart, another prominent anti-Boris MP. The members revolt is real and the disenchantment with “them” is widespread. The membership voted for Boris, they voted for Liz. They got Rishi forced on them by the parliamentary party.
Former minister Bob Neil has tabled an amendment to the government’s Internal Market Bill which would give Parliament a veto on overriding the Withdrawal Agreement. Damien Green and Oliver Heald are known to be backing the move, however The Times reckons 30 MPs could rebel. Boris can’t afford to lose more than 40 MPs rebel before his majority is wiped out…
It appears the rebels haven’t been very clever however. Sky’s Sam Coates reports legal sources suggesting the amendment might be a “Trojan horse”, including flaws and loopholes Boris would be able to exploit
The problem is apparently the veto is voted on after the point when the government has annulled the law so potentially after the ministers have already achieved their goal
— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 10, 2020
Some believe only way to defeat the gvt plan is to vote down this bit of the bill. But there isn’t support
A government source tells The Times that unlike the Brexiteer rebels in 2019, those who back Bob’s bill won’t lose the whip, saying “we’re not in the same place”. Could the amendment see both former Tory leaders Theresa May and a Michael Howard turn against the government?
