Nadine Dorries calls for Tory rebels to be deselected after Brexit vote defeat

John Ashmore

3 min read14 December 2017

Tory MP Nadine Dorries has called for colleagues who voted against the Government in last night's crunch Brexit bill vote to be deselected.

The Bedford MP, who was a strong advocate of the Leave campaign, also accused former attorney general Dominic Grieve of "treachery" and said he should not have been reappointed as chairman of the cross-party Intelligence and Security Committee.

Her outbursts on Twitter followed an embarrassing defeat for the Government as 11 Conservatives defied their party whip to vote in favour of Mr Grieve's amendment calling for MPs to be given a meaningful vote on the final Brexit deal.

Overall MPs voted 309 to 305 in favour of the amendment, with two pro-Brexit Labour MPs - Frank Field and Kate Hoey - backing the Government.

The vote is a big blow to Theresa May ahead of her trip to Brussels today for the start of a two-day European Council meeting, where EU heads of state are expected to give the green light to phase two of the Brexit negotiations.

Ms Dorries, who has herself defied the Tory whip on 47 occasions, said the rebels MPs had "undermined the PM and devalued her impact in Brussels".

Tonight, the Tory rebels have put a spring in Labours step, given them a taste of winning, guaranteed the party a weekend of bad press, undermined the PM and devalued her impact in Brussels. They should be deselected and never allowed to stand as a Tory MP, ever again.
— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) December 13, 2017

And she specifically took aim at Mr Grieve, who rebelled against his own party for only the second time in his parliamentary career.

The Govt recently nominated Grieve to be Chairman (paid) of the Intelligence and Security Committee. He has repaid that by his treachery. We’re there no loyal MPs for the job,? You know, like the way Labour do it when they are in government.
— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) December 13, 2017

That tweet drew short shrift from fellow Conservative Sarah Wollaston, who was another of the 11 Tories to vote in favour of the amendment.

Get over yourself Nadine, Dominic is by far the best person for this vital role on behalf of the public & Parliament
— Sarah Wollaston (@sarahwollaston) December 13, 2017

Former minister Nick Boles also condemned Ms Dorries.

I voted with the Government tonight and wasn't persuaded by the arguments of my colleagues who rebelled. But I respect their position and deplore the accusations of treachery and calls for deselection. Nothing could be less British.
— Nick Boles MP (@NickBoles) 13 December 2017

One of the rebels, Stephen Hammond, was sacked from his role as vice-chairman of the Conservative party for London shortly after the vote.

Very disappointed to no longer be Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party for London. It was a huge honour and I'll continue to campaign across our capital in the run up to the Borough elections next year.
— Stephen Hammond MP (@S_Hammond) December 13, 2017

Speaking on Radio Four's Today programme this morning, Mr Hammond refused to rule out rebelling next week when Theresa May tries to enshrine the Brexit date of 29 March, 2019, in the EU Withdrawal Bill.

Asked to comment on Ms Dorries' remarks, he said: "I make it a cardinal rule not to be rude about my colleagues in public and I'm not going to start now."

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