WATCH: Former minister says Tory party discipline has ‘completely broken down’
2 min read
An ex-Tory minister has launched a scathing attack on Theresa May’s premiership by saying discipline within the party has “completely broken down”.
Ed Vaizey savaged the Prime Minister’s ability to lead the party, arguing that “there’s no power anywhere”.
His comments come as Mrs May’s Brexit inner cabinet meet for an away day at Chequers to thrash out a deal on Britain’s future relationship with the EU, where talks are expected to go on late into the evening.
The former minister appeared on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff for the second day running, having yesterday said the "the whole thing about how Brexit is good for trade is obviously complete nonsense".
When asked if he had been "told off" by any of the party's top brass, he told the programme: “No, I mean discipline has completely broken down in the parliamentary party, so no one tells anyone off, because there’s no power anywhere.”
He added: “It’s an atomised parliament."
And when it was suggested to him that Mrs May has a record of slapping down the Chancellor when he makes off-message comments, Mr Vaizey likened him to a “human shield”.
“It’s a slightly unpleasant analogy to say he’s a human shield, but some people do use that term about Philip Hammond, that he gets all the flak.
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