Grassroots call for Rees-Mogg in charge and Chequers ‘chucked’
RANK and file Tory members used their first chance to vote on Theresa May’s Brexit plan by overwhelmingly rejecting it yesterday.
The “alternative Conservative conference” saw members vote 88 to 1 to “chuck Chequers”.
A later vote revealed 49 per cent of the alternative conference Brexiteers want Jacob Rees-Mogg as leader, almost double the number who support Boris Johnson while just one per cent wanted Mrs May.
The event organised by Brexit groups, including the Bruges Group and Bow Group, runs alongside the official conference in Birmingham in a bid to give ordinary members a voice.
The vote took place at the Campaign for Conservative Democracy chaired by the Daily Express which was addressed by Tory MEP David Campbell Bannerman and Mansfield MP Ben Bradley, who resigned as party vice chairman over Chequers. Mr Campbell Bannerman said Chequers “highlights the disconnect between the leadership and party members”. He called for an elected chairman who “would be able to act as a voice for members in formulating policy and ensure they are not ignored”.
Chequers has been criticised for tying the UK to Brussels in a common rule book. Mr Bradley said: “This was not the Brexit people voted for, it was not the Brexit I campaigned for.”
Meanwhile, at a meeting in the official conference, Mr Rees-Mogg appeared to set out a manifesto for postBrexit leadership. He said: “Once we have delivered Brexit we have to get on with health and housing, we have to be saying to people ‘we are going to improve your life’.” In a sideswipe at the current leadership, he added: “What resonates with people is when you say ‘we will make your lives a little bit better’ and frankly we are not saying that at the moment, we are not giving that clear message that ‘Conservatives have trust in you to do the right thing for yourself and therefore we will take obstacles out of your way’.” Speaking later, former cabinet minister and Vote Leave campaigner Priti Patel said: “Any deal which looks like Chequers would be a deal that stands in defiance of our democracy.” RUTH Davidson said yesterday that only the “worst type of hypocrite” wants a second EU referendum.
The Scottish Tory leader told the conference we “must respect the democratic choices we make – or we undermine the principles we all claim to uphold”.
Her intervention is crucial because she campaigned to stay in the EU in 2016 and is seen as an influential figure by those hoping she would support a “People’s Vote”.
Ms Davidson, who has been the darling of the party for her role in stopping Scottish independence in 2014, made it clear Brexit needs to happen.
The heavily pregnant leader is about to take a five-month break for maternity leave and was given a rousing send-off by cheering Tory members.
She told how Remainers asked her: “Ruth you voted Remain, surely you’d welcome the chance to try and reverse the result. Why not back another vote?
“Why not join all the other people who were happy to support a referendum when they thought they would win, and are now crying foul.”
She pointed out that after winning the independence