The remain establishment were in perfect harmony this morning when Sam Gyimah launched the new Lib Dem skills policy from Tony Blair’s son Euan’s company. All in the family…
The Lib Dems announced a new policy of £10,000 of education for each adult from the headquarters of White Hat GB – whose CEO happens to be Euan Anthony Blair. His dad has been keeping quiet about whether he’ll actually vote Labour this time round…
Only five of the 21 expelled Tory rebels still wish to return to the Conservative Party, according to a senior One Nation source. Namely, Amber Rudd, David Guake, Richard Benyon and Stephen and Philip Hammond. You couldn’t guess some of them want to return given how they’ve been behaving since losing the whip…
Whilst it was obvious some of the cohort – such as Sam Gyimah who is now a Lib Dem, and Rory Stewart who plans on standing as an independent – had given up on rejoining to Tory Party’s loving embrace, it was still assumed the majority of independent remainers would look at regaining the whip once Brexit is sorted. It’s also believed that only Rory has any chance of keeping his seat if standing as an independent…
In other wet Tory news, the Tory Reform Group held their one nation drinks reception yesterday, during which Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said multiple times “I am the law” and one member fainted. They’re truly dropping like flies…
UPDATE: A sign of further Tory independents to Lib Dem defections? Anne Milton and Guto Bebb spotted plotting with Phillip Lee and Sam Gyimah in PCH…
Twenty of the 21 former Conservative MPs who voted against the confidence issue of Corbyn’s Surrender Bill will be allowed to attend Conservative Party Conference this year, Guido has learned. Whilst the whip was removed from all the rebels, only Sam Gymiah has had his membership of the party formally revoked, following his defection to the Liberal Democrats. Guido is sure this news will delight Justine Greening, who is scheduled to be speaking at a Centre for Social Justice education panel entitled “Expelled but not forgotten”…
Guido also understands that, although she is technically allowed to, Amber Rudd will not be attending this year. Guido isn’t convinced that the membership will be all too disappointed…
The second referendum campaign for Tory MPs, Right to Vote, set up by Phillip Lee, no longer contains a single Tory MP among their ranks, following multiple defections, resignations and withdrawals of the whip by the Government. Coincidentally the website and campaign have since folded…
At its height, the group contained 10 Tory MPs in its fold, however, following a record number of MPs changing party, the supposedly Conservative campaign is now led by a Lib Dem and counts four independents, one ‘The Independents’ MP and one ‘The Independent Group for Change’ MP among others. Keeping up?
The only sign the group was ever Tory-affiliated is the two remaining Tory Lords, who will be grateful that Boris said he wouldn’t withdraw the whip from any Lords supporting the Surrender Bill. A good demonstration of the change seen in British politics over the last year.
After the previous attempt by East Surrey Conservatives to hold a no confidence vote in Sam Gyimah was spiked in March, a group of unhappy members have launched a fresh bid to oust the hardline Remainer MP. A petition signed by a “significant” number of local members was delivered to the Association Chairman last night, calling for a Special General Meeting to debate a reselection motion within 28 days. This would not deselect Gyimah of its own accord but would force it to go to a postal ballot of the full membership when Gyimah applies for reselection himself…
Gyimah’s recent public threats to take action against a new Tory leader over Brexit have certainly not endeared him to the local membership, disgruntled members insist it is not just his Brexit stance they object to but also his “appalling track record as a constituency MP”. If they get their way Gyimah might be getting his ‘People’s Vote’ after all – in himself…
