Tory backbencher Michael Fabricant shared his own take on the alleged blackmail said to be taking place among the Conservative Party – and let’s just say, it didn’t exactly improve the situation.
The chairman of the Commons public administration committee, William Wragg, revealed that he was told the prime minister’s allies were threatening to “embarrass” any Tory MPs who support a no confidence motion against Boris Johnson.
On Thursday, Wragg said he had heard reports members of No.10 staff, special advisers and ministers had been looking to get various stories published about anyone who against the prime minister.
He explained: “It is of course the duty of the government whips’ office to secure the government’s business in the House of Commons.
“However, it is not their function to breach the ministerial code in threatening to withdraw investments from members of parliament’s constituencies which are funded from the public purse.”
He recommended that the colleagues should report these matters to the Commons’ speaker and the police, although the prime minister said: “I’ve seen no evidence, heard no evidence, to support my of those allegations.”
Then, Tory backbencher Fabricant tweeted: “If I reported every time I had been threatened them, the police wouldn’t have any time to conduct any other police work!
“What nonsense from WW.”
Unsurprisingly, the rather unusual tweet prompted a series of reactions...