Tory MP and former Brexit minister Steve Baker dances around issue before bombshell admission that helping bring down government in no-confidence vote ‘is on the table’
Tory former Brexit minister Steve Baker was forced into an explosive admission that the ‘ERG’ group of pro-Brexit Tory MPs are considering voting against Theresa May’s government in a no-confidence motion over her failure to negotiate a workable Brexit deal.
Baker also hinted that he might resign from the Tory party in order to do so.
Baker claimed that he could not foresee voting against the government ‘as a Tory MP’ – but did not contradict the Spectator’s Fraser Nelson when Nelson pointed out that could mean he’d resign the Conservative ‘whip’ in order to do so as an independent.
And Baker – deputy chair of the ERG group – twice admitted that a vote against the government is ‘on the table’:
SKWAWKBOX comment:
The Tories are falling apart, with Brexit hardliners considering bringing down the government and the pro-remain faction openly talking about a ‘government of national unity’ – a nakedly anti-democratic power-grab – as a means of clinging onto power with fellow ‘centrists’.
The country desperately needs an end to this black hole of centrist ambition and Tory incompetence while millions suffer. It’s time for another no-confidence motion to see if these vacillating MPs will put their money where their mouth is.
The SKWAWKBOX needs your support. This blog is provided free of charge but depends on the generosity of its readers to be viable. If you can afford to, please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here for a monthly donation via GoCardless. Thanks for your solidarity so this blog can keep bringing you information the Establishment would prefer you not to know about.
If you wish to reblog this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.
Sqwawkbox – just a minor linguistic matter. Could you avoid overuse of the word ‘bombshell’?
It reminds me too much of Alan Partridge.
It’s clear that at least 170 Tory MP’s would prefer No Deal to anything else, as evidenced by their letter to May. That’s a seriously large bloc of right wingers. May is now incapable of leading anybody anywhere and might as well be ignored; those 170 hardliners rule the country. With Chuka Whatshisnsme declaring he (and his cohorts?) won’t support a Customs Union the chances of a less than overwhelming victory tonight will make it that much easier for Tories to ignore the call and we are more likely to end up with two options, May’s Deal or No Deal. A long extension will sink as rapidly as a 2nd Ref. Only a GE could hope to dislodge the Tory hard core but until then they rule.
Dear Skwawkbox. Please use the word ‘bombshell’ as often as appropriate. I especially like that it fits nicely with the word ‘explosive’.
You just have to wear the right pullover or cardigan.
As I understand it, if we put forward a VONC which was carried because some Tories like Steve Baker and the DUP voted with us, the Tories being the largest party would have 14 days to form a new government in order to avoid a General Election. That would mean replacing Theresa May with an interim leader – say Davis Liddington and, I presume, making a few changes to the Cabinet. Then all Tories (and probably the DUP) would support the temporary Leader and his “new” cabinet. They would then start the process to elect a new permanent leader /PM. So even if we won a VONC we would still end up with Tory government albeit under a new leader/ PM.
In addition good results for Labour in recent polls will guarantee that the Tories will move heaven and earth to avoid a General Election.
It seems clear to me ( and I genuinely hope I am wrong) that we will be stuck with a Tory Government for some tome to come.
So why was the Cabinet war-gaming (reportedly) for a GE only last week?
I don’t know – I hope its because they know something that I don’t. I would love to see a General Election and Jeremy in No10 but if my understanding of the rules is correct I doubt it will happen anytime soon.
Methinks JC and new old labour party would form a caretaker minority government to get Brexit over the line and then call a GE
… and then lose because they alienated the larger part of their vote!
Baker is a notable self-publicist of little brain. When push comes to shove, the majority of Tory MPs will not back a vote that threatens a general election. They have the money until 2021, and they won’t relinquish it on a whim.
This evening I listened to ‘The News’. Not something I do much these days in case I start sawing at my wrists with a credit crd.
What really struck me is that Labour is now seen as an irrelevancy in the Brexit debate – all the focus is on the Tories such as Baker.
Now – it’s possible to go off on a rant about media bias. But that’s beside the point. The thing is Labour isn’t making an impact or enthusing people, even amongst swathes of the sympathetic vote who really rate Corbyn as a person (I spent the weekend in a massively sympathetic area). Instead Watson manages to grab attention as a default.
Sorry – but this isn’t a sign of a ‘clever’ strategy.
Media bias is not beside the point. But I also agree we should be hearing s lot more from Corbyn and Kier Starmer instead of Tom Watson.
tom Watson was booed at the remain rally last week. nobody can believe a word he says, He is a snake, twisting this way and then another way. Jeremy Corbyn and labour were told by the govt their input was not welcome as they were not in power and they were as irrelevant as the other parties. JC been doing plenty behind the scenes and he and labour know there is no point consorting with the ones in power. Let the govt, the ones running the country dig themselves deeper into a hole , a mess of thier own making. the MSM have always treated JC as an irelevance, the lies they have spouted, even about the weather ! saying we were having tornadoes and ice age since the beginning of november. Lets face it JC been called a terrorist, an anti semite, and that book, ruthless he is for power lol. He and labour are playing a blinder with this brexit game. get that out of the way, and then hope will be given credence, we will work for a fair wage and earn enough, decent housing, health, education and life chances. the young need it, the sick, disabled, elderly, everyone . .