Theresa could save Remainer Grieve from deselection as MP

THERESA May could intervene to stop the deselection of Dominic Grieve MP, a minister suggested yesterday.

The former attorney general faces being removed as the Tory candidate in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, over his support for a second referendum.

At a meeting of his local constituency association on Friday, Mr Grieve was heckled by party members who called him ‘liar’, ‘traitor’ and ‘disgusting’.

The association passed a motion of noconfidence in their MP by 182 votes to 131 after it was tabled by former Ukip member Jon Conway. But Home Office minister Victoria Atkins yesterday hinted the Prime Minister might step in to ensure the Remain MP keeps his seat. She told Pienaar’s Politics on BBC 5 Live: ‘The Prime Minister’s been very clear about this. Dominic has given years and years of service to the parliamentary party, to the country ... It’s not a binding motion, is my understanding.’ She added: ‘We are a broad church and we will not stand for that sort of behaviour. We want to, we have to, reflect the broad range of opinion across the country... Dominic is a very, very good MP and someone I am close to in the party. We want to treat colleagues with respect and courtesy and kindness.’

Since Friday’s meeting, a number of senior party figures have rallied around Mr Grieve, including Boris Johnson who tweeted: ‘We disagree about EU but he is a good man and a true Conservative.’