Guido understands former Tory MP Nick de Bois is about to be appointed as Dominic Raab’s chief of staff at Dexeu. He replaces Stewart Jackson, whose reappointment was blocked. Another Tory MP who lost his seat gets a SpAd job. Though at least he is a Brexiteer and vigorous Leave campaigner…
Dame Angela Watkinson, the Tory MP in Hornchurch and Upminster, will be 79 in 2020 and is expected to retire after nearly two decades in the Commons. A string of top Tories are already sniffing round the cushy 16,000 majority seat. Hotly tipped is Nick de Bois, the popular former Enfield North MP who lost his seat in 2015. Local Tories have noted that former Cameron adviser Shaun Bailey, now a London Assembly member, has moved to the area and is flaunting his newly-discovered pro-Brexit credentials. Syed Kamall, the Leave-backing Tory MEP leader, has also been turning up to local association meetings. Kamall should be popular, having stood up to intense career-ending pressure from Cameron. Havering has been dubbed “the most Eurosceptic place in Britain” and voted 70% to Leave. It is a very Brexit-y seat for life…
Guido hears that Zac has managed to secure the services of Nick de Bois, who is apparently going to chair and run Zac’s selection campaign. Lynton Crosby’s CTF Partners are on hand to offer Zac advice on his campaign. For someone who was willing to put his fate in the hands of his electorate, Zac certainly seems serious about it now…
Guido’s revelation earlier today that the Tories were using Sol Campbell to campaign in Spurs’ backyard of Enfield has upset plenty of voters, but local MP Nick De Bois is defending the stunt:
https://twitter.com/ArryYid/status/572385805798379520
@ArryYid forgive me but the first I heard of this is your tweet so please don't have a pop at me about publicity stunts.
— Nick de Bois CBE (@nickdebois) March 2, 2015
@ArryYid @GuidoFawkes because I didn't think someone would base their vote on football even if it was true!
— Nick de Bois CBE (@nickdebois) March 2, 2015
Clearly no one from CCHQ was at White Hart Lane when they released 4,000 balloons with the word Judas on them to celebrate last time Sol was in town:
Back of the net.
