- Damian Green gave Tory conference prankster short shrift on Question Time
- Branded comedian Simon Brodkin an ‘unfunny pillock’ who should be ignored
- Insisted Theresa May should stay on despite shambolic Tory gathering this week
Theresa May’s deputy has delivered a brutal slapdown to the notorious prankster who derailed her conference speech – branding him an ‘unfunny pillock’.
Damian Green dismissed the idea that Simon Brodkin’s stunt in Manchester this week – which saw him breach security to hand the PM a fake P45 – should be seen as an ‘important political event’.
The defence came as Mrs May struggles to quell a mutiny said to involve ‘dozens’ of MPs spearheaded by former party chairman Grant Shapps.
The PM’s effective deputy Damian Green branded prankster Brodkin an ‘unfunny pillock’
Comedian Simon Brodkin managed to get through security at the Manchester venue and hand Mrs May the P45 in one of several disastrous parts of the speech
After rumours of a plot swirled yesterday, Tory whips took the decision to expose Mr Shapps’ as the ringleader in the hope the move will rob the coup attempt of momentum.
On the BBC’s Question Time last night, Mr Green insisted Mrs May was determined to carry on.
‘I know that she is as determined as ever to get on with the job, she sees it as her duty to do so and she will carry on and she will make a success of this Government,’ he said.
The First Secretary of State said it was disappointing the substance of the conference speech had been largely overshadowed.
But he added: “The idea that because somebody gets a cold when they’re at the work, that that somehow renders them the wrong person for the job or that because some unfunny pillock pulls a practical joke that that is in any way an important political event is complete nonsense.”
Mr Green also played down the impact of thinly-veiled leadership manoeuvring by Boris Johnson.
The PM looked startled as he gave her the P45 saying: ‘Boris asked me to give this to you’ before turning to the Foreign Secretary with his thumbs up telling him: ‘Boris, job done mate’
Comedian Simon Brodkin joked that he got so close to Theresa May he had caught her cold when he took the stage last night
Mr Green made his views clear when he appeared on BBC’s flagship political debate show
Asked whether the Foreign Secretary was a ‘loose cannon’, Mr Green said: ‘I think Boris is great to have as part of our team.’
He added: ‘What Boris does particularly well is inject an air of optimism into the campaign.’
Meanwhile, Brodkin has launched his stand up tour last night by joking that he got so close to Theresa May he had caught her cold.
The comedian bragged that he had spent the night in a police cell after gatecrashing the Tory Party conference.
He apologised to the audience at Nottingham’s Glee Club as he appeared on stage for the first time since the stunt.