Tory unity latest…
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:
- This role is about seeking truths through evidence to influence Parliament and policy. Not grandstanding or ideological campaigning.
- We should make the most of our development funding and other soft power examples like the Commonwealth, Chevening scholarships and the British Council
- We should explore what the mooted European Partnership offers and ways to resolve the NI conundrum
- Being sanctioned by Russia and having a visa denied by China (as I have both) are reasons to deepen, not cut off, engagement
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…
Tory MP Richard Graham had the Commons in fits of giggles today when he invited Liz Truss to meet him in a service station to enjoy a “warm welcome and a Gloucester old spot sausage”. Alec Shelbrooke, seated to Graham’s right, seemed to find the suggestion particularly amusing…
Two men have been arrested for arson after a derelict warehouse in Gloucester was burned down this week. A nasty incident, certainly, though fortunately no one is believed to have been hurt. Local MP Richard Graham is therefore going somewhat overboard:
As sad as it is to see a section of a disused warehouse collapsing, the destruction by ISIS of world heritage ruins in Palmyra is perhaps slightly worse. Guido awards Graham the Order of the OTT…
