Daily Mail

Cowardice of Tory plotters

Backlash against bitter ex-ministers seeking revenge by ousting Mrs May

- By Jason Groves Political Editor

TORY MPs last night rounded on ‘cowardly’ and ‘embittered’ former ministers plotting to topple Theresa May in the wake of her chaotic conference speech.

Former culture minister Ed Vaizey yesterday became the first senior Tory to call publicly for the Prime Minister to resign, saying ‘quite a few people’ were ‘firmly of the view’ she should go.

The plotters claimed about 30 MPs, including four former cabinet ministers, privately shared his view.

One ringleader even suggested there was a ‘50/50 chance’ that the group would send a delegation to Mrs May this weekend calling for her to leave.

But Cabinet ministers and the so-called ‘men in grey suits’ on the backbench 1922 Committee yesterday moved to kill off the plot by giving Mrs May their backing.

And there was growing anger at the activities of the plotters, many of whom are former ministers who were either sacked by Mrs May or who have fallen out with her in the past.

Business minister Margot James said: ‘ There are some ex-cabinet ministers and ministers who are extremely embittered individual­s who just want to get their own back for the fact that they don’t feel recognised.’

Fellow Tory Mark Pritchard hit out at the ‘cowardly’ plot, saying: ‘Attempts to drum up a delegation of 30 MPs to try and force the PM out will fail. They are also cowardly. If any MPs want her out, there is a process.’ Mrs May sacked a string of ministers in her first reshuffle, including Mr Vaizey, former education secretary Nicky Morgan and former business minister Anna Soubry, all of whom have been sharply critical of the PM.

Others who have been vocal in their criticism of Mrs May in recent months include the former party chairman Grant Shapps and former chief whip Andrew Mitchell.

Mr Vaizey yesterday broke cover to become the first senior figure to suggest Mrs May should go.

The former minister is a close friend of George Osborne and David Cameron and was removed by Mrs May after six years as minister for the arts.

He told BBC Radio Oxford: ‘Quite a few people are firmly of the view she should resign.

‘The Tory Party conference… was a great opportunit­y to reboot the party and the country and give a clear sense of direction. That didn’t happen and, yes, I am concerned.’

Asked if Mrs May should quit, he replied: ‘I am finding it increasing­ly difficult to see a way forward, and it worries me.’

And last night Andrew Mitchell put out a statement saying he had ‘respect’ for Mrs May, adding: ‘It took courage of a high order to complete what was an important and interestin­g speech in impossible circumstan­ces.’

Mrs May’s set-piece speech to the Tory conference on Wednesday was derailed when a prankster infiltrate­d the event and handed her a mock P45. She then suffered a prolonged coughing fit, and, in a final indignity, letters started falling off the conference slogan on the wall behind her.

Plotters, who have been seeking to oust her since the summer, seized on her misfortune to launch a fresh bid to remove her.

One said Mrs May could face a delegation as early as the weekend.

‘It has to be all or nothing,’ he said. ‘We can’t have a situation where a few go public with their criticism and the rest fade away.

‘There is a small window of opportunit­y here, more people are coming forward.’

But party grandees yesterday moved to strangle the plot at birth. Cabinet ministers made it clear they would not back any attempt to topple the PM.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said most admired ‘the guts and grace that the PM showed in the face of some pretty difficult and unexpected developmen­ts’.

And Charles Walker, vice- chairman of the 1922 Committee, said: ‘Most colleagues that I talk to are right behind the Prime Minister and think she is doing an outstandin­g job in very, very difficult circumstan­ces.’

Party whips do not believe the plotters are close to having the support of the 48 MPs they would need to trigger a formal challenge.

But some ministers are said to be worried that Philip May could advise his wife to stand down after her gruelling performanc­e.

One insider dismissed the concerns, saying: ‘You should never underestim­ate her sense of duty. Or his.’

However, privately, even her allies fear this week’s speech may have shortened her political shelf life.

Mrs May has said she plans to fight the 2022 election. But friends think she may be forced to step aside within months of Britain leaving the EU in March 2019 to allow a new leader to take the fight to Labour.

Mrs May, who suffered from a heavy cold throughout the conference was yesterday taking a planned day off at her constituen­cy home.

‘Very difficult circumstan­ces’

 ??  ?? Breaking cover: Ed Vaizey
Breaking cover: Ed Vaizey
 ??  ?? Criticism: Grant Shapps
Criticism: Grant Shapps
 ??  ?? Vocal: Andrew Mitchell
Vocal: Andrew Mitchell

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