Michael Fallon calls for 'military discipline' among Tories to stop 'dangerous enemy' Jeremy Corbyn
2 min read
Cabinet ministers must employ military discipline to prevent “dangerous enemy” Jeremy Corbyn from winning the keys to Downing Street, Michael Fallon has said.
The Defence Secretary warned his colleagues against fighting each other after bitter rows burst to the fore in anonymous briefings to the press.
Ministers at the top table of government leaked Cabinet discussions to the Sunday papers in a bid to damage Chancellor Philip Hammond.
Theresa May was forced to demand unity from her team and warn that a divided Tory party could see Labour leader Mr Corbyn win power.
At a reception at the Policy Exchange thinktank last night, Mr Fallon doubled down on the warning as he called on colleagues to defend the Conservative approach to the public purse.
"In this summer of warm prosecco I think we in the Cabinet would also do well to reflect on those military virtues: loyalty, discipline, cohesion, that might better enable us first to concentrate our fire on a dangerous enemy in reach of Downing Street - somebody who would lower our defences, scrap our deterrent, weaken our response to terrorism,” he said.
"And second, to better articulate again the moral case for lower taxation, for honest public financing, for wider opportunity, enterprise and ownership - the Conservative case."
It comes after Tory backbenchers from the 1922 committee said they would back Mrs May to sack dissenting Cabinet ministers.
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