Over the weekend, former Tory chair Jake Berry voiced anger from his members at the sacking of Boris. In an interview with The Telegraph, Berry calls the move to defenestrate Boris “insanity”, warning that the party members are “furious”. Given this, they will be even more upset to learn that Boris, in fact, easily cleared the 102 MP threshold after Liz Truss resigned.
We previously reported Boris had squeaked past the requisite backer threshold – to much scepticism from Boris detractors in the media. It now emerges he in fact had 110 – just 47 behind what Rishi had when he pulled out. Speaking on Westminster Hour last night:
“His team asked us to verify that, he had – I think – 110.”
Guido asked a source close to Boris whether this latest figure from Brady was correct, and was told it was. If, as the polls currently show, the Tories lose the next election, the leadership of the opposition will be his for the taking…
It’s been a rough few days for Matt Hancock. If his paintballing pain wasn’t enough, he’s now been given a bruised ego to boot. Matt had joined the crowd of Tories eagerly awaiting their recently-coronated leader, even securing a prime front-row position. After those to either side of Matt received friendly hugs and handshakes, all he could do was watch on as Rishi passed him by.
He will be hoping not to get the same treatment in the forthcoming ri-shuffle…
The amiable young officer from Queensland regulating entry to Committee Room 14 asked if HM’s Press Corps had any questions. “No! We’ve done leadership announcements before,” a sketch-writer said. “Many, many times before.”
Would this be the last for a while? Not if Penny had made the – she’s quit. Word went down the line sparking a wildfire competition. Penny’s dropped. Penniless. Penny’s in heaven. Penny’s Lame.
MPs made a late entry to the big room. Graham Brady and the other top dogs entered through the upper entrance and the gathering stilled. He spoke. “As the Returning Officer in the leadership election, we have received one nomination.” The room rumbled so loudly you couldn’t hear who had won. It had to be inferred.
For the historical record Nigel Adams says he met this morning with Bob Blackman, Joint Secretary of the 1922 Committee.
“He has independently verified the nomination paperwork and confirmed to me that Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP was above the threshold required to stand for the Conservative Party leadership in this leadership election. Therefore Mr Johnson could have proceeded to the ballot had he chosen to do so”
The nominations process is confidential and it is up to individual MPs whether they wish to publicly announce who they back in leadership elections – Bob Blackman is verifying nominations today for the remaining candidates in this leadership election. Those still suffering from Boris Derangement Syndrome may need to seek help…
Turning into Westminster Hall this evening, Guido fell in behind half a dozen big, broad-backed, black-suited men walking through the gloom. This was the Executive of the 1922 Committee. They had the form and figure of gangland bosses, men who ran the racket.
The Reservoir Dogs mounted the steps at the end and paused. The biggest dog said, “We’re a little early.” They stood where they stopped under the stained glass of St Stephen. It would have been possible to loiter and eavesdrop. Report their secrets, their plans. But remembering what happened to Mr Brown, Mr Blonde and Mr Blue (the 22 Executive is as pitiless as it is ruthless) Guido walked down to the waiting media.
Graham Brady, the chairman of the board, is a discreet man. So discreet that it was impossible to hear him unless you were crouched underneath with a microphone and a headset. A nearby journalist revealed Brady’s secret – that each Tory candidate for leader would need 100 nominations to run, and by Monday 2pm.
A third of the party’s MPs. Signed up. The organisation needed to do that is considerable. Not many candidates can summon 100 MPs over the weekend. Can Boris, even with his talent for organisation?
But even more important, would he want to?
In Boris’ world, disaster is an opportunity for further disasters so it is worth going through those, as he must be himself – even as you are reading these words.
First: Can he afford it? A house in Herne Hill is going to cost in the modest millions. That is a bagatelle to a man making £150,000 for an after-dinner speech (they get the dinner free, you know) but it is an impossible burden for a man making £150,000 a year (and paying for his own dinner).
Second: He still has a Partygate investigation hanging over him and the Privileges Committee is yet to sit in judgment on the case. That committee is chaired by Chris Bryant whose answer to the question, “Did he torture him and cut off his ear?” is: “Is he a Tory?”
Third: If he got the nominations (pretty likely) and ravished the membership (even more likely), would he be the unity candidate the party needs (unlikely)? If he and the party struggled in the polls, watch all the old fissures and fractures open up again, like horrible, medieval wounds.
And in the wider sense, is Cakery enough to win in a recession, a cost of living crisis, a declining economy? Let Them Eat Cakery has its limitations.
So, will Boris run? It’ll be a brave man who says he will or he won’t. Nothing is predictable anymore.
Senior backbencher Will Wragg has just delivered a damning speech in the Commons in which he set out his unconventional reason for backing the government’s confidence vote on fracking this evening. Despite opposing fracking, he explained that were he to vote against the government, he would lose the party whip and therefore his letter of no confidence in Truss would be removed from Brady’s pile. Not the reason for support Wendy Morton would have been hoping for…
