Last Friday there were more than a few miffed Northern MPs willing to give spicy anonymous Lobby-terms quotes to hacks, after the PM pulled out of his Northern Research Group conference appearance to hop on a secret flight to Ukraine. Despite ministers, backbenchers and Jake Berry himself defending Boris’s decision, one ‘senior NRG figure’ told the press the MP had shown “total contempt” for them, after backing him in the leadership vote. Another NRG source told The Telegraph’s Chopper “Sadly today’s events show the PM has no commitment to levelling up, his voters, or the North of England”:
NEW A Northern Research Group source said: "Sadly, today’s events show the PM has no commitment to levelling up, his voters, or the North of England.
— Christopher Hope📝 (@christopherhope) June 17, 2022
"He is burning through goodwill, and looks scared to come and engage with the very group who delivered for him during the vote."
Unfortunately for the group, these anonymous briefings were a step too far for Mark Jenkinson, the Workington MP after whom the crucial 2019 voters Boris had to win – ‘Workington Man’ – are named. Guido’s now seen screenshots of the NRG Whatsapp group aftermath that Friday afternoon, which involved Jenkinson proclaiming “I always considered this group to contain fewer c***s than others. Goes to show you never can tell.” Promptly exiting the chat…
Such a happy family…
Jake Berry led the charge on Question Time last night for either the royal family, or the government, to clarify who exactly is paying Prince Andrews multi-million pound settlement with Virginia Giuffre. The Queen is reportedly stumping up £2 million for her favourite son, however if that money were coming from the Sovereign Grant it would in effect be taxpayer cash. Will Andrew drag Her Maj’s reputation down with him?
41 northern Tory MPs have put their names to a letter from the newly established Northern Research Group, calling on the Government to set a clear roadmap for regions to climb down the tiering system an to “create a Northern Economic Recovery Plan to help our constituents build back better out of this Covid crisis.” A further 14 Tory MPs have signed the letter anonymously…
The Northern Research Group, founded by former Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry in the last couple of months, stresses that “our constituents have been some of the worst affected by Covid, with many losing jobs and businesses”, arguing the levelling up agenda “has never been more essential.”
The letter does also stress support for measures already taken by the Chancellor. One signatory tells Guido that the letter is intended to be “supportive of the Government and the PM”, implying that some media outlets have got the wrong end of the stick, going on to say “some outlets believe anything is an attack these days”. Guido will let readers decide for themselves. Read the letter in full below…
Key Boris lieutenants Nigel Adams and Jake Berry have been promoted into government. Berry is the Northern Powerhouse Minister and Guido hears it will be announced later that Nigel will be put in the Whips Office.
Always useful for a leadership campaign to have whips experience…
Boris campaign team member Jake Berry not taking well:
“There is a very deep pit reserved in Hell for such as he. #Gove”
