The Foreign Office has just seen its second sacking/resignation as a result of the vote of confidence in the PM. On Monday we saw the resignation of FCDO PPS John Lamont, today top Brexiteer Baroness Morrissey is out as an advisor. Her resignation came hours after telling LBC that she’d “rather Boris Johnson didn’t carry on.”
Boris Johnson is a 'very talented person' who is 'just in the wrong job', believes Tory peer Baroness Helena Morrissey.@AndrewMarr9 | @MorrisseyHelena pic.twitter.com/thU6sY8WHb
— LBC (@LBC) June 7, 2022
According to Harry Cole she’s now resigned as Lead Non-Executive Director after a talk with the department’s permanent secretary. The official line is she’s left because of a “longstanding desire to be more outspoken in the Lords”. So much for that peerage…
Six Tory parliamentarians have now gone public with a commitment to actively boycott Tory conference in October if, as reported, vaccine passports are an entry requirement. Mark Jenkinson was first out of the gates, followed by Steve Baker. Lady Helena Morrissey came shortly after. Now Guido learns Bolton West MP Chris Green is joining them:
“I would love to go to Party Conference because it is in Manchester, down the road from my constituency and a great chance to champion levelling up, but I will not be attending in person or online.”
As is Peter Bone:
“I can confirm that I won’t be attending the party conference if we have to have a vaccinee passport to attend.”
Andrew Bridgen has also told Guido he will add his name to the list of boycotters in the event of mandatory vaccine passports.
Sir Charles Walker previously said he wouldn’t get the vaccine due to a phobia of needles, and confirmed to Guido this afternoon he remains unvaccinated and still “waiting for nasal vaccine”, thereby depriving conference of their biggest grandee thus far. It’s a real bind for Boris – lose support amongst party ideologues or get mauled by the press…
UPDATE: Milling wobbles, texts Tory MPs
Follow Guido’s rolling updated list below:
- Mark Jenkinson, Workington
- Steve Baker, Wycombe
- Helena Morrissey, Lords
- Chris Green, Bolton West
- Peter Bone, Wellingborough
- Andrew Bridgen, North East Leicestershire
- Craig Mackinlay, South Thanet
