REMAINER Rebel Dominic Grieve is under threat of deselection by officials in his local Tory association this weekend after he said yesterday he could vote to bring down his own Government.
After Boris Johnson revealed his plans to shut down Parliament to try and stop pro-EU plans to block Brexit, the Beaconsfield MP threatened to vote no confidence in him.
And he faces a crunch meeting with his association before Parliament goes back to Westminster on Tuesday.
Deputy Chairman of the Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association, Jason Behenna, warned today: “He has failed two confidence votes already, and has to go before the Executive if he wants re-adoption as our candidate.
“He would do well to remember who he is representing and their expressed wishes.”
An official statement from the Association added: “We continue our strong support of our Government’s efforts to bring new and meaningful legislation forward and support its Brexit strategy of getting a deal and leaving the EU on the 31st October 2019.
“We however cannot reconcile our MP’s ongoing challenge to his Party and Government with regards to Brexit and do not condone his current reported position of ‘I will bring down a Conservative Government.’
“Should our MP have a hand in bringing about the downfall of his own Government by either voting against, abstaining or worse promoting a no confidence vote, he will leave us with no choice at all as his association.”
After the Prime Minister announced that he will suspend Parliament for five weeks between September and October to drive through Brexit, Mr Grieve said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “I will certainly bring down a Conservative Government if the Prime Minister persists in following a course of action that is so unconstitutional.”
The Prime Minister has said that a Queen’s Speech will follow the suspension of Parliament until October 14, allowing the Government to legislate on crime, hospitals and education.
Mr Johnson added: “There will be ample time on both sides of that crucial October 17 summit, in Parliament, for MPs to debate the EU, debate Brexit, and all the other issues.”
The MP for Beaconsfield has lost a confidence vote by Conservative members in his constituency over his Brexit position already.
And in June his association said that he will have to seek re-adoption if he wishes to stand as their candidate in the next election.
His candidacy will be subject to a vote from an Executive Council of over 50 representatives from the 1500-strong Tory association.
If there’s a snap election as rumoured, the re-selection could come even sooner.
Mr Grieve could not be reached for comment.
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