Theresa May to be hauled before emergency meeting of Tory MPs as party civil war grows
3 min read
Theresa May is set to be hauled before her backbenchers tomorrow as Tory fury over the general election result threatened to tear the party apart.
Graham Brady, chairman of the powerful 1922 committee of Conservative backbenchers, said he wanted their next meeting with the Prime Minister brought forward by 24 hours as the crisis surrounding her leadership continues.
He also admitted that key sections of the Tory manifesto could be ditched after the party saw its Commons majority disappear in the general election.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Cabinet ministers have warned Mrs May that she must change her leadership style if she is to have any future in the job.
And senior Conservative MPs continued to insist that Mrs May is living on borrowed time in the wake of her election humiliation.
Appearing on the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, Mr Brady said: "There's no doubt that we need to see a much more open and inclusive approach within government and within parliament as well. That's not just a desirable outcome, it's an absolute necessity in these circumstances.
"Trying to make a hung parliament and a minority government works requires a much more inclusive approach and bringing people into the decision-making process.
"One of the things I've said to the Prime Minister is it's very important that she speaks to colleagues as soon as possible. We were going to have a meeting of the 1922 committee on Tuesday, I'm hoping to bring that forward to tomorrow now so that she can talk to colleagues about that deal (with the DUP)."
Former Chancellor George Osborne this morning described Mrs May as "a dead woman walking" who is not on "death row".
He was joined in predicting the Prime Minister's demise by former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, who said a leadership contest could be held within weeks.
On ITV's 'Peston on Sunday', she said: "Much to the upset probably of every journalist who is hoping for a summer off, I suspect that it could be over this summer and I think it should involve our party conference as well. I remember those days when we actually had the contenders at our party conference able to present their platforms.
"I think we do need to have a debate in the Conservative party, we need a period of reflection after what’s happened in the last few days. We need to understand exactly where we’re headed, what are the policies, there were things in our manifesto that clearly now because of the make up of parliament are not going to go through. I also think there’s an opportunity for us to think as a party how do we build a broader consensus on issues like Brexit, which is the biggest issue facing this country."
Another former minister, Anna Soubry, told Sky News: "I just can't see how she can continue in any long-term way. I think she will have to go, unfortunately. But not for some time, let's get this clear, we need stability, we need to put that sense of the economy and the country and the national interest absolutely at the forefront, none of this messing about behind the scenes."
But Iain Duncan Smith hit back at Ms Morgan, saying: "Nicky Morgan’s thought there would be a leadership challenge ever since she didn’t stand. With respect to Nicky Morgan, she still thinks she’s going to be Prime Minister."
And Dominic Raab accused George Osborne of being "disloyal, unprofessional and pretty self-indulgent" by continually sniping at Mrs May from the sidelines.
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