‘Pushy’ Davis to blame for May poll flop
‘BREXIT CHIEF MADE HER DO IT’
THERESA May was “pushed” into the snap election by her Brexit Secretary David Davis, an explosive new book claims.
And the PM is said to have almost quit the night she realised she had lost her majority.
The bombshell book insists Mr Davis bullied her into the disastrous vote.
He is said to have wanted the early election to avoid being pressured into a bad deal by Europe on the eve of a 2020 election.
The stunning claims come in a book examining the election result, Betting The House, by journalists Tim Ross and Tom McTague.
It alleges that Mr Davis dismissed concerns from election guru Sir Lynton Crosby, telling him he knew better.
He bragged: “No-one is closer to Theresa May than I, and I, Philip Hammond and Theresa really run the country.
“I’m urging her to have an election as early as possible. We’re well ahead in the polls and we’ll win.”
According to the book, when a shocked Sir Lynton disagreed, Mr Davis said: “I’m persuading her.”
The book also claims on hearing the result of the BBC exit poll, Mrs May “broke down and wept”, and considered quitting.
She was convinced to stay after a text from Boris Johnson saying: “We are with you and behind you.”
The PM was reportedly so moved at the text she showed it to advisers to gee them up.
Tory divisions are also exposed, with Chancellor Philip Hammond revealed to have been frozen out of the campaign. It’s claimed No10 and Mr Hammond “clashed too many times”, and they treated him with “at times contempt”.