Theresa May 'forced to separate Cabinet ministers in furious Commons row'
1 min read
Theresa May was forced to step in and separate her Chancellor and Defence Secretary after a blazing row broke out between the pair in the Commons, it has been reported.
Philip Hammond and Gavin Williamson reportedly had a shouting match following their feud over defence cuts.
The row exploded on Wednesday evening in the Commons following a key Brexit vote, according to the Mail on Sunday.
One Tory MP claimed Mr Williamson had started the fight, claiming: “Gavin went for Philip's throat."
“All the pent-up anger came spilling out. Hammond looked taken aback, but then gave as good as he got. The PM could see it was all getting out of hand and broke it up,” the MP added.
The Prime Minister stepped in after Mr Williamson accused Mr Hammond of publicly humiliating him, the paper adds.
A source told the paper that Mrs May “made it clear the two of them should grow up and calm down".
The source added: "After slugging it out toe to toe, they trudged off like naughty schoolboys."
Reports have emerged that the newly appointed Defence Secretary is battling the Treasury to increase spending on the military.
Mr Hammond is said to have compared Mr Williamson to hapless Dad's Army character Private Pike.
The Ministry of Defence then refused to let the Chancellor travel on RAF aircraft until the Treasury settled an unpaid debt for previous flights.
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