Conservative MP: Tories are letting Britain down
3 min read
An outspoken Conservative MP today said her own party was “letting the country down” as Theresa May faced a barrage of damaging revelations.
In an astonishing intervention, Heidi Allen urged the “old guard” in the party to “understand why we need to change” as she pointed to a string of embarrassing stories.
It comes amid rampant Tory infighting over Brexit and the ailing premiership of the Prime Minister - with one top MP urging Mrs May to “name a date” for her departure.
Serial rebel MP Heidi Allen tweeted an image of the Sunday Times front page showing difficult stories for the party below the headline ‘Tories in turmoil’.
One was about a Brexit lobbying scandal while another contained allegations that Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson leaked security secrets to distract attention from his private life.
Ms Allen said: “And yet the old guard hangs on in and doesn’t understand why we need to change, saying MPs like me aren’t ‘proper Torys.’ [sic]"
Dramatically, she added: “Good God we need to get a grip and lead. We are letting this country down.”
Meanwhile, fellow backbencher Nigel Mills took to Radio 4 this afternoon to say the Government lacked direction. He accused Mrs May of failing to deliver on her promise to tackle the “burning injustices” in society.
His comments echo those of prominent figures like Nick Boles and Nicholas Soames, who have hit out at the Prime Minister and accused the Government of suffering from a lack of ideas.
Elsewhere, Tory MP Johnny Mercer warned the party was in such a mess that Jeremy Corbyn could seize power at the next election.
“I think he could well be prime minister if we don’t get our shit together,” he said in an interview with the Sunday Times.
'SET A DATE TO LEAVE'
It came as former chairman Grant Shapps argued the Prime Minister should make clear she has no intention of fighting the next election or risk being ousted.
Rumours have been circling that Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers, is worried he might soon have enough MP letters to trigger a leadership contest.
If 48 are sent in to the committee - which amounts to 15% of the parliamentary party - it will trigger a no-confidence vote in the Prime Minister.
But Mrs May has insisted she is going nowhere and has suggested she plans to fight the next election expected in 2022 - despite swirling rumours of a challenge on the horizon.
In further turmoil for the party, Tory MP Nadine Dorries called on Mrs May to sack Chancellor Philip Hammond for what she claimed was disloyalty over Brexit.
Mr Hammond angered Tory Brexit supporters this week when he said there would be only “very modest” changes to the UK-EU relationship after Brexit.
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