COUGH JUSTICE
ON THE WAY OUT?
EMBATTLED Theresa May vowed not to “hide from a challenge” amid mounting claims she is poised to execute a Cabinet reshuffle in a bid to rescue her premiership.
The Prime Minister, who appears to have survived a bid to oust her after her disastrous party conference speech, is under growing pressure to bring in new faces to salvage her Government.
Boris Johnson – tipped for the chop – urged Tories to get behind May but admitted there had been a moment when MPs “sniffed the air” before rallying round the premier.
May insisted: “It has never been my style to hide from a challenge and I’m not going to start now. I’m the PM, and part of my job is to make sure I always have the best people in my Cabinet, to make the most of the wealth of talent available to me in the party.”
She denied crying after her speech debacle, when she suffered epic coughing fits, was handed a P45 by a prankster and letters dropped off the conference slogan.
“One minute journalists are accusing me of being an ice maiden or a robot, then they claim I’m a weeping woman in dire need of a good night’s sleep,” she told The Sunday Times.
“The truth is my feelings can be hurt, like everyone else, but I am pretty resilient.”
An attempted coup led by former party chairman Grant Shapps has fizzled out but it was claimed at least three Cabinet ministers discussed the need to replace the PM on Thursday night.
Johnson used a newspaper article to claim only Tory “nutters” want to force out May and potentially trigger another election. Former PM Sir John BORIS JOHNSON: The PM has faced calls to axe the Foreign Secretary but may lack the political strength. He could be switched to a role such as Conservative Party chairman but she might decide it is better to “keep your enemies close”.
During the election campaign, May was asked to guarantee he would be in post after polling day, and refused. Pro-Leave MPs believe he backs a soft Brexit but firing him would give Remainers a figurehead on the backbenches.
May’s one-time leadership rival was demoted from Environment Secretary to Commons Leader after the election. She reportedly launched a tirade at May’s “disastrous” Brexit plan in Cabinet.
The Education Secretary has been outspoken on expanding Heathrow airport. Her constituency is directly under the flight path and she is tipped to quit when the Government give a third runway the green light. Major blasted “disloyal” Tory MPs and urged them to back the leader.
He said he was “saddened to see the news dominated by those who have been driven by their own personal agenda”, adding: “Their conduct has undermined their own party, their own Prime Minister and their own Government.”
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said there had been “some pretty unfortunate shenanigans this week”.
Blasting warring Tories engaged in “tittle-tattle”, she said being a politician is “about delivering for the country, it’s not and should never be about private ambition”.
She told ITV: “God damn it, she’s the Prime Minister of a G7 country, she didn’t get there by luck or default.”
But while attempting to shore up the leader, Davidson gaffed by saying: “This is about who’s the best person to run the country. I think she’s the best Prime Minister that we’ve got.”
There was added misery for May as a BMG Research poll put Labour on 42 per cent, five ahead of the Tories with 37 per cent.