On Friday lunchtime, a Northamptonshire couple say they were surprised – just as Theresa May was about to start a major speech on Brexit in London – to find senior Tory at the next table in the cafe of a Waitrose cafe in Towcester, telling aides none too quietly about her low opinion of the Prime Minister.
‘DJL’ and his wife – whose bona fides have been checked by the SKWAWKBOX but have asked not to be more specifically identified in this article – told this blog that Ms Leadsom told her companions that “our leader is weak” and that she was “looking forward to a real leader soon“, before concluding:
The next one needs to be stronger, this can’t go on as it is.
Andrea Leadsom stood against Theresa May for the Tory leadership following David Cameron’s resignation in 2016 and was demoted by May from the position of Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs after the Tories’ disastrous General Election campaign last year.
Although both her new positions – Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council – are normally Cabinet positions, Ms Leadsom is now not a Cabinet minister, although she is still allowed to attend Cabinet meetings:
The SKWAWKBOX emailed Ms Leadsom with details of the comments allegedly overhead in Waitrose and asked the following questions:
- whom do you back as leader?
- are you planning to stand again?
- how soon do you think Mrs May should step down or be removed?
- did you listen to her speech live?
- what did you think of it?
We received no response from Ms Leadsom. We did, however, receive a response from a Cabinet Office address – although she is not a Cabinet-level minister – with the following statement:
As follow-up, we asked:
- whether Ms Leadsom denies being in Waitrose Towcester at the time in question
- if that is denied, whether she attended Mrs May’s speech in London
- why the Cabinet Office was responding to an enquiry to Ms Leadsom
No answers were received.
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Typical response from Govt which will never be the truth
What, in the name of all that’s real, is a ‘Lord President of the Council’? The woman’s a fool, for ever taking on such a title. There is a range of other titles, which could also do with being expunged from our public life.. together with wigs and gowns and other such throwbacks.
Let’s hope it’s not Leadsom for leader. At a hustings meeting at a school where she stood in for an absent neighbouring constituency Tory candidate last summer, it’s reported that the Labour candidate had to get 6th formers to put her right on the difference between deficit and debt.
they all urinate in the same pot
I suppose the Waitrose cafe bill will turn up on ‘expenses’ , and if so…
Also, is it possible you (Through the ‘witnesses’) could get hold of CCTV footage from Waitrose under DPA?
Could be a tenner well spent…
IF they (waitrose) decide to charge…
Hey lord president of the council, man up your lordshit stop telling porkies for once in your life, why not say it as you feel fit 95% of the country agree with you, may is past her used by date, time her and your miserable rabble of a party has the decency and call an election
Time you lot were on the opposite benches
vote tory get tory