Mor blackmail from the Tory party, the party is self imploding.
Not shocked at all but hope this can move to an early election.
more:
from the Guardian live blog:
>[No 10 resists investigation into ‘blackmailing’ of Tory MPs critical of Johnson until ‘evidence’ found](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2022/jan/21/boris-johnson-covid-coronavirus-conservatives-tory-labour-politics-live?page=with:block-61eab4618f08046acb501a85-pinned#block-61eab4618f08046acb501a85-pinned)
>
>Downing Street was resisting opening an investigation into allegations of Tory MPs being blackmailed into supporting prime minister Boris Johnson as he faces a threat to his leadership, despite a cabinet minister saying they needed to be looked at.
>
>Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng disputed the allegation first made by a senior Conservative, but told Sky News if true it would be “completely unacceptable” and ministers “need to get to the bottom of the matter”.
>
But No 10 suggested on Friday that an investigation would only be launched “if there was any evidence” to support the claims, despite calls from Labour and Tory MPs.
>
>A spokesman for the prime minister said: “We’re not aware of any evidence to support what are clearly serious allegations.
>
>“If there was any evidence to support it, it would of course be looked at.)
>
>Downing Street was resisting opening an investigation into allegations of Tory MPs being blackmailed into supporting prime minister Boris Johnson as he faces a threat to his leadership, despite a cabinet minister saying they needed to be looked at.
>
>Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng disputed the allegation first made by a senior Conservative, but told Sky News if true it would be “completely unacceptable” and ministers “need to get to the bottom of the matter”.
>
>But No 10 suggested on Friday that an investigation would only be launched “if there was any evidence” to support the claims, despite calls from Labour and Tory MPs.
>
>A spokesman for the prime minister said: “We’re not aware of any evidence to support what are clearly serious allegations.
>
>“If there was any evidence to support it, it would of course be looked at.
>[Boris Johnson vows to purge rebels who vote against no-deal Brexit](https://www.ft.com/content/92f6f320-cc87-11e9-b018-ca4456540ea6)
>
>*Threat to withdraw Tory whip and deselect former ministers such as Philip Hammond*
>
>(mirror link: https://archive.is/hivSP)
>
>Boris Johnson has dramatically escalated the Conservative civil war on Brexit by threatening to purge some of the party’s biggest beasts — including former chancellor Philip Hammond — unless they back him in a key Brexit vote on Tuesday.
>
>The UK prime minister has warned Conservative rebels they will be stripped of the party whip and banned from standing as Tory candidates at the next election if they do not back his tough line on Brexit. …
–
Three days later the whip was removed from 21 Conservative MPs:
>[9/3/2019, 9:44:02 PM](https://www.ft.com/content/bb56885f-d109-3d54-844b-ed0a0d2f8ed2)
>
>The whip is being removed from the 21 Tory rebels, the FT’s *Sebastian Payne* reports.
>
>”*The Chief Whip is speaking to those Tory MPs who did not vote with the Govt this evening. They will have the Tory whip removed,*” says a Downing Street spokesperson.
>
>For the first time since 1970, Ken Clarke is not a Conservative MP.
>
>Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, is no longer a Conservative MP for the first time since 1983.
4 comments
Mor blackmail from the Tory party, the party is self imploding.
Not shocked at all but hope this can move to an early election.
more:
from the Guardian live blog:
>[No 10 resists investigation into ‘blackmailing’ of Tory MPs critical of Johnson until ‘evidence’ found](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2022/jan/21/boris-johnson-covid-coronavirus-conservatives-tory-labour-politics-live?page=with:block-61eab4618f08046acb501a85-pinned#block-61eab4618f08046acb501a85-pinned)
>
>Downing Street was resisting opening an investigation into allegations of Tory MPs being blackmailed into supporting prime minister Boris Johnson as he faces a threat to his leadership, despite a cabinet minister saying they needed to be looked at.
>
>Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng disputed the allegation first made by a senior Conservative, but told Sky News if true it would be “completely unacceptable” and ministers “need to get to the bottom of the matter”.
>
But No 10 suggested on Friday that an investigation would only be launched “if there was any evidence” to support the claims, despite calls from Labour and Tory MPs.
>
>A spokesman for the prime minister said: “We’re not aware of any evidence to support what are clearly serious allegations.
>
>“If there was any evidence to support it, it would of course be looked at.)
>
>Downing Street was resisting opening an investigation into allegations of Tory MPs being blackmailed into supporting prime minister Boris Johnson as he faces a threat to his leadership, despite a cabinet minister saying they needed to be looked at.
>
>Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng disputed the allegation first made by a senior Conservative, but told Sky News if true it would be “completely unacceptable” and ministers “need to get to the bottom of the matter”.
>
>But No 10 suggested on Friday that an investigation would only be launched “if there was any evidence” to support the claims, despite calls from Labour and Tory MPs.
>
>A spokesman for the prime minister said: “We’re not aware of any evidence to support what are clearly serious allegations.
>
>“If there was any evidence to support it, it would of course be looked at.
and:
There has been quite a bit on this already:
>[Mail: Tycoon and Tory adviser are accused of ‘bullying’ former MP Charlotte Leslie in row over Middle East group](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10425351/Tycoon-Tory-adviser-accused-bullying-former-MP-Charlotte-Leslie.html)
>
> * Tory tycoon and senior adviser accused of ‘bullying’ former MP Charlotte Leslie
> * Comments came during an explosive Commons debate regarding her treatment
> * MPs criticised Tory adviser Carl Hunter and multi-millionaire Mohamed Amersi
>
>(https://archive.is/Bc4A0)
Didn’t Kevin Spacey do this rece…
Oh wait, that was the fictional Netflix show House of Cards.
For anyone who might believe Johnson [had seen ‘no evidence’ to support the senior Conservative William Wragg’s claims that some MPs had been subject to blackmail and intimidation by No 10.](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2022/jan/20/boris-johnson-ive-seen-no-evidence-to-support-blackmail-claims-video); will just take them back to the start of his premiership:
>[Boris Johnson vows to purge rebels who vote against no-deal Brexit](https://www.ft.com/content/92f6f320-cc87-11e9-b018-ca4456540ea6)
>
>*Threat to withdraw Tory whip and deselect former ministers such as Philip Hammond*
>
>(mirror link: https://archive.is/hivSP)
>
>Boris Johnson has dramatically escalated the Conservative civil war on Brexit by threatening to purge some of the party’s biggest beasts — including former chancellor Philip Hammond — unless they back him in a key Brexit vote on Tuesday.
>
>The UK prime minister has warned Conservative rebels they will be stripped of the party whip and banned from standing as Tory candidates at the next election if they do not back his tough line on Brexit. …
–
Three days later the whip was removed from 21 Conservative MPs:
>[9/3/2019, 9:44:02 PM](https://www.ft.com/content/bb56885f-d109-3d54-844b-ed0a0d2f8ed2)
>
>The whip is being removed from the 21 Tory rebels, the FT’s *Sebastian Payne* reports.
>
>”*The Chief Whip is speaking to those Tory MPs who did not vote with the Govt this evening. They will have the Tory whip removed,*” says a Downing Street spokesperson.
>
>For the first time since 1970, Ken Clarke is not a Conservative MP.
>
>Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, is no longer a Conservative MP for the first time since 1983.