I’ll keep calm and carry on, May tells the Tory plotters
‘30 MPs’ in bid to unseat Prime Minister
THERESA MAY has insisted she has the full support of her Cabinet after a former Conservative Party chairman confirmed he was the ringleader of a plot to persuade her to stand down.
Conservative MPs rallied to the Prime Minister’s aid after Grant Shapps claimed to have the support of about 30 MPs in his attempt to convince her to make way.
His intervention provoked anger from colleagues over the timing and, for some, a concern that it could be an attempt to install a Prime Minister who would pursue a softer Brexit. One Conservative source said Mr Shapps had “little support except a few Remoaners” and his plan would be welcomed only by Labour.
Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake said he was “100 per cent” behind the Prime Minister while Harrogate MP Andrew Jones described Mrs May as “the right person to lead the United Kingdom”.
Mr Hollinrake said: “The Prime Minister dealt with the numerous challenges on Wednesday with fortitude and resilience, just the qualities we need from our leader at this time.”
Yesterday, in her first public appearance since her Conservative Party conference speech – which saw the Prime Minister struggle with a cough, interrupted by a prankster and parts of the set fall down – Mrs May made clear her determination to remain in Downing Street.
She said: “Now what the country needs is calm leadership, and that’s what I am providing with the full support of my Cabinet. Next week I am going to be updating MPs on my Florence speech, which has given real momentum to the Brexit talks, and I will also be introducing a draft Bill to cap energy prices, which will stop ordinary working families from being ripped off.”
In a further indication of her intentions, Downing Street confirmed she will meet business leaders on Monday to discuss the Government’s approach to Brexit.
Under Conservative Party rules, the support of 48 MPs would be needed to trigger a leadership contest through a letter to the 1922 committee. But Mr Shapps said his intention had been to approach the Prime Minister privately with evidence of support for a change to avoid the “embarrassment” of a legal challenge. He maintained the MPs supporting him were both Remain and Brexit supporters.
“A growing number of my colleagues, we realise that the solution isn’t to bury our heads in the sand,” he said.
A clearer sense of the level of threat to Mrs May is likely to emerge next week when MPs return to Westminster after the conference season break.
What the country needs is calm leadership. Prime Minister Theresa May.