Tory Eurosceptics have warned Theresa May that the Conservative Party will be "toast" if it "welches" on Brexit in a furious meeting as backbenchers warned that Tory splits are worse than divides over Maastricht. A group of 50 Eurosceptic Tory MPs, led by Jacob Rees-Mogg, yesterday issued a series of stark warnings to Julian Smith, the Chief Whip, amid fury about the Prime Minister's plans for post-Brexit trade arrangements. MPs mounted a series of outspoken attacks on Oliver Robbins, the Prime Minister's EU sherpa, and said that ministers such as David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, must be in the room during negotiations with Brussels. They also said that the Brexit divorce bill must be "conditional"... Register or log in to view this and other Politics articles. It's free and easy to do. Join regular debates with our journalists by commenting on articles Sign up to exclusive newsletters that give you the inside track on Westminster and Brexit Register Log in … [Read more...] about Tory Eurosceptics warn the Conservative Party will be ‘toast’ if Theresa May ‘welches’ on Brexit
Conservative party
Conservative Party Hasn’t Moved On From ‘F*** The Muslims Era’
The former chairwoman of the British Conservative Party Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has claimed that her organization has a continuing and deep-rooted culture of Islamophobia which, she claims, it uses for political purposes. The former Minister of State for Faith and Communities under Prime Minister David Cameron, in an article written for The Guardian Newspaper, has called for the setting up of an independent inquiry into her own party. Since having asked Conservative back-benchers to move the Conservatives on from the era of "F*** the Muslims," Baroness Warsi has branded the party's handling of the issue as "woefully inept." The leading Tory member of the House of Lords made particular reference to the 2016 London mayoral election, in which she condemned the behavior of the Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith, who she said used, "blatantly, deliberately Islamophobic" rhetoric. Thanks … [Read more...] about Conservative Party Hasn’t Moved On From ‘F*** The Muslims Era’
‘Flouting of Conservative Party rules’ alleged in Hitchin and Harpenden
A veteran Conservative activist has alleged breaches of party rules in the Hitchin and Harpenden constitutency association. File photo. Archant A former Conservative committee chairman has alleged “fragrant flouting” of party rules in the Hitchin and Harpenden constituency association. Hitchin and Harpenden Conservative Association co-chairman and former councillor David Leal-Bennett, around whom Stephen Parker's complaint centres. Picture: Danny Loo Stephen Parker, who chaired the Hitchin Conservative Committee from 2006 to 2011, has called for a “full party inquiry” over the actions of Hitchin and Harpenden Conservative Association co-chairmen Matt Stephens and David Leal-Bennett. Mr Parker alleges that former councillor Mr Leal-Bennett – who was censured by North Herts District Council in November 2016 amid allegations that he “bullied” council officers – brings the party “into disrepute”. He further claims that Mr … [Read more...] about ‘Flouting of Conservative Party rules’ alleged in Hitchin and Harpenden
Beneath the surface, the Conservative Party is rebuilding its campaigning machine
Rob Wilson Follow 30 June 2018 • 9:30pm The 2017 election revealed years of neglect. But finally the party is turning things around A year on from a disastrous general election, it has been increasingly hard to be positive about the prospects for the Conservative Party. Many senior Tories take solace from margin of error opinion poll leads and the fact that the Labour Party has at the helm its worst post-war leader. Undoubtedly, in more settled times Corbyn would be routed at the ballot box, but as last year demonstrated these are far from normal times politically *the financial crisis and Brexit have seen to that). Ultimately keeping the economy stable and delivering Brexit will be the twin keys to electoral success. But the third... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium … [Read more...] about Beneath the surface, the Conservative Party is rebuilding its campaigning machine
UK Conservative Party Accused of ‘Turning Blind Eye’ to Reports of Islamophobia
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has again written to the Tories, expressing its concern over Islamophobia and insisting that the issue “won’t magically go away,” The Guardian reported on Tuesday. READ MORE: Man Allegedly Behind "Punish a Muslim Day" Letters Arrested in Britain The group also said that the party’s chairman has not responded to their request for an internal inquiry on the matter. In the MCB’s latest letter to Chairman Brandon Lewis, the campaigning group said it’s not acceptable “to turn a blind eye to legitimate concerns about bigotry” and said the issue was potentially worsening, with further reports of Islamophobia inside the Conservative Party emerging. However, although the Tory chairman didn’t respond directly to the MCB, he did post an article online in which he said, “A single case of abuse is one too many, and … [Read more...] about UK Conservative Party Accused of ‘Turning Blind Eye’ to Reports of Islamophobia