Westminster is on the brink of a by-election frenzy, with both Bexley and Southend now in need of replacements following the tragic deaths of both incumbents. Claudia Webbe is also facing losing her job in the wake of her harassment trial, and Owen Paterson faces a Commons vote on a 30-day suspension for lobbying, which would allow his constituents to force a by-election vote. A reporter’s dream…
It seems the soonest to be held will be Old Bexley & Sidcup, replacing James Brokenshire – a seat with a 19,000 majority in 2019. Guido learns the Tories will be selecting their candidate this Saturday, and while the by-election writ hasn’t been moved in the Commons by the government yet, it suggests an election relatively soon.
Local sources are pointing to councillor Louie French as the frontrunner. French has been representing the ward of Falconwood & Welling since 2014, and served as deputy leader from 2018-21. He stood as the Tory candidate in the South East London seat of Eltham in 2019, coming within just 3,000 votes of unseating Labour MP Clive Efford.
Louie may also be considered a frontrunner because of how eager he’s been at the prospect of a by-election. Guido hears he made enquiries to the party incredibly soon after Brokenshire’s passing was announced…
Today MPs made said goodbye to another friend and colleague James Brokenshire who sadly passed away from lung cancer two weeks ago, aged just 53 years old. One particularly touching tribute came from Robert Buckland who described his friend as:
“…driven, quick, persuasive, funny, kind, and decent. Don’t make the mistake of confusing those qualities with mere niceness, Madam Deputy Speaker, he was much, much more than that. Farewell my friend. Thank you for everything.”
RIP James…
James Brokenshire has passed away at the age of 53 following a long battle with lung cancer.
A statement from the family:
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of James Brokenshire MP at the age of 53. James died peacefully at Darrant Valley Hospital yesterday evening with family members by his bedside. He had been in hospital since Sunday after his condition rapidly deteriorated. James was not only a brilliant Government minister as both Security and Immigration Minister at the Home Office and Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office and Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government, but a dedicated constituency MP, first for Hornchurch from 2005 to 2010, and then for Old Bexley & Sidcup for the past 11 years. But most importantly, he was a loving father to his three children, a devoted husband to Cathy and a faithful friend to so many. We would like to thank all the NHS staff, particularly those at Guy’s & St Thomas’ in London, who cared for James with such warmth, diligence and professionalism over the past three-and-a-half years. We would also ask that our privacy as a family is respected at this time.”
Rest in Peace.
Fans of Brexit-themed music videos will be delighted with the news that Libertarian Comedian Dominic Frisby – singer of the #1 smash hit “17 Million F**k O**s” – is standing as a Brexit Party candidate. Frisby will be bringing his musical comedy and standup, along with some very sound views on Brexit and monetary policy, to the South-East London constituency of Old Bexley and Sidcup. The song is more than worth another listen…
James Brokenshire has a 15,000 majority but the constituency voted a whopping 62.4% Leave. He won’t be laughing if Frisby makes it to number one again…
Sir Roger Scruton has now issued his own press statement after the New Statesman finally issued an apology to him yesterday over George Eaton’s hatchet job. However, while Scruton appears to have largely buried the hatchet with the New Statesman, he instead launches a searing broadside at the Conservative Party for the way they threw him under the bus. They didn’t even bother asking for his side of the story before hanging him out to dry…
Scruton say he was “astonished” by the comments issued by 10 Downing Street and “particularly distressed by the behaviour of the Minister who sacked me on the strength of the NS article, without asking me whether it accurately represented anything that I had said” – the minister being James Brokenshire. Scruton even says he is “grateful” to the New Statesman for awakening him to the “true moral crisis of the Party to which, despite everything, I still belong.” Ouch.
Read Scruton’s statement in full:
“I am pleased to have resolved my complaint against the New Statesman. They have apologised for how they misrepresented my interview on Twitter and accepted that their article in some fundamental ways did not accurately reflect what I had said. I am pleased that the words I actually spoke are now available. This experience was very unpleasant, not least on account of the rush to judgment by others in the media and in politics.
“I was particularly distressed by the behaviour of the Minister who sacked me on the strength of the NS article, without asking me whether it accurately represented anything that I had said. I was also astonished by the comments issued from Number Ten Downing Street, and by the fact that the Conservative Party made no collective effort to defend me. I am grateful to the New Statesman at least for this, that these distressing events have awoken me to the true moral crisis of the Party to which, despite everything, I still belong.”
Ovens have been the hot topic in Westminster today with James Brokenshire getting a roasting after the Daily Mail’s double-page spread revealed his kitchen is kitted out with a generous four ovens. One person who should know a fair bit about multiple ovens is Daily Mail editor Geordie Greig. Greig recently became the proud owner of a stonking Grade II*-listed mansion. The kitchen is equipped with no fewer than SIX ovens…
Guido can count at least four Aga ovens along with one of Brokenshire’s “normal double ovens”. There may well be a microwave oven lurking out of shot too. And that’s before you even count his London home…
The Gothic revival “family home” and four estate cottages were on the market for £3.75 million just a couple of years ago before the Mail man snaffled it up. Greig has over 21 acres to enjoy …
The mansion’s 8,000 plus square feet are full of authentic period features, including working period fireplaces spread around the four reception rooms. There are a whole six bathrooms, one for each oven…
That’s just the house – if Geordie gets a bit hot after too much cooking, there’s always the heated swimming pool to cool off in with its own bar and shower area, while the outbuildings include four cottages in the grounds and two “double garages”. Or does that count as four?
