SW1 speculation is in overdrive this morning over who will become the new Defence Secretary, now that Ben Wallace has officially submitted his letter of resignation. A handful of names are doing the rounds this morning. Grant Shapps, Liam Fox, John Glen, Jeremy Quin, James Heappey and Tom Tugendhat are the top contenders. Guido’s hearing a lot of chatter about Shapps, although given he is already a well-liked figure as Energy Secretary it would make the ri-shuffle more extensive than the PM appears to have an appetite for at the moment. John Glen is seen as a safe choice though Defence mandarins will be wary of a Treasury man. Liam Fox emerged as a surprise candidate last night in the Telegraph. Given he had to resign from that role once already, it would be a shock…
UPDATE: Shapps in Downing Street, announcement expected imminently…
UPDATE: Shapps confirmed.
Clearly with an image to maintain, Jolyon Maugham has attacked yet another Fox. Fortunately, concerned observers from the RSPCA can stand down, this time Jolyon’s Foxy target is not of the vulpine variety… instead it’s Conservative MP Liam Fox. You can put away the baseball bat…
The latest in Jolyon’s ongoing series of “dark money investigations” investigating… nothing… involves naming Liam Fox in a “lobbying scandal”, after consulting firm Bradshaw Advisory was found to have breached lobbying rules by watchdog, The Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists (ORCL). This is despite the fact Liam Fox himself was absolved of any wrongdoing by The OCRL – a minor detail buried deep into the article’s 8th paragraph. Sly as a fox…
The two most thrilling reactions for MPs – as I understand it – are 1) a dense, party-wide Hear, Hear! which carries the speaker on the crest of approval. And 2) a sudden, still, congregational silence in the great chamber. In this version, the packed Commons holds its breath. Every listener is caught by the throat.
1) is hard, and rarer as the years have passed, but 2) is relatively easy. It is prompted by some “horrific incident” or “terrible tragedy” and strikes every person present into pious silence.
The Commons has got wise to it now, and the body count is rising with every passing PMQs. The signal that the trick is being played again is usually a name, a Christian name (Sh! Sh! the monitors go), then the fact of a child, a victim, a death.
Today, with names and details, we had a stillbirth, a death by dogs, three suicides and an air pollution fatality. Thirty-one deaths a day by breast cancer were referenced, though not by name (that’ll be next: “We shall never forget them.”).
The temptation, which the Tory Member didn’t successfully resist, is to dally in the spotlight. It’s a very fine line. One extra sentence and you look like you’re making a meal of it, fine dining in the sacred silence.
Better would be not to do it all; to find another way to demonstrate that politicians are human, that they share our concerns.
Guido can reveal a sixth Tory MP is putting their hat in the ring to chair the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, following the vacancy created by Tom Tugendhat’s promotion. Richard Graham, the MP for Gloucester, is joining Liam Fox, IDS, Alicia Kearns, Henry Smith and John Baron in the race – albeit at a significantly later starting date than his five competitors.
Richard Graham is campaigning on four points, the third of which is certain to raise eyebrows among Tory MPs:
A source close to one of the candidates revealed lots of SNP MPs are set to back Alicia Kearns, and no doubt many Labour MPs will also be putting her as first preference, meaning it’s likely she will be in the final two with either IDS or Liam Fox. Nominations close tomorrow and the vote’s on Wednesday…
While most politicking has been put on pause for the moment, it seems life goes on for some career-hungry MPs. The elevation of Tom Tugendhat to Security Minister means a prize vacancy as chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee is up for grabs; immediately Tory grandees Liam Fox and IDS announced they’d be putting themselves forward. Guido understands their campaigns have been paused in light of the Queen’s death…
The underdog in the race is Alicia Kearns, a 2019 vintage Tory MP, who’s shown a keen interest in foreign affairs since entering parliament three years ago, as well as serving on the committee for the past two years. Unlike IDS and Fox, however, Alicia can’t afford to campaign on name recognition alone. Today in PCH according to a co-conspirator she was holding court lobbying passing MPs, Guido’s co-conspirator spotted Damian Hinds and Daniel Kawczynski getting their ears bent, despite the campaign halt while we mourn Her Majesty. No rest for the wicked…
