The Culture Secretary – seen yesterday – is the latest Tory to say they won’t stand in the forthcoming election
Nicky Morgan announced tonight she will quit the Commons before the election, citing the abuse she has received and blasting Parliament for not ‘respecting votes cast by the electorate’.
It came just hours after Amber Rudd announced that she was also quitting Parliament after Downing Street blocked her return to the Tory fold, sparking an angry row with No 10.
Ms Morgan, a Remainer who accepted the result of the referendum, said the abuse and impact on her family involved with being an MP ‘can only be justified if, ultimately, Parliament does what it is supposed to do’.
She wrote to local Conservative chairman Trevor Ranson: ‘After nearly a decade as Loughborough’s MP and over 15 years as a local campaigner here I have made the very difficult decision that I can’t commit to another 5 year term and now is the time for me to stand aside and be at home far more.’
Describing her time as Loughborough MP as ‘the greatest privilege of my life’, she added: ‘Of course, being an MP offers many fantastic opportunities. Apart from the wonderful people I meet daily, and the fabulous organisations I work with, I have always believed that it is through politics that real and positive change can be made to our communities and country.
‘But the clear impact on my family and the other sacrifices involved in, and the abuse for, doing the job of a modern MP can only be justified if, ultimately, Parliament does what it is supposed to do – represent those we serve in all areas of policy, respect votes cast by the electorate and make decisions in the overall national interest.’
Ms Morgan, a Remainer who said she accepted the result of the referendum, announced the decision on Twitter
Ms Morgan cited the ‘clear impact’ on her family as well as the abuse she has received for her desire to leave the Commons
It came as Boris Johnson sparked a public spat with Amber Rudd over his decision not to let her back into the Tory fold.
The Hastings and Rye MP gave up the Conservative whip in solidarity with 21 Remainer rebels who were expelled by the PM last month.
Ten of the MPs were brought back into the fold last night as Mr Johnson gears up for the looming election battle.
Ms Rudd said this morning she would not be standing in the national ballot on December 12 – but made clear she was hoping to have the whip restored.
However, in a brutal letter chief whip Mark Spencer refused her plea to be let back in. ‘You were clear that you did not support the approach of the PM and did not have confidence in him,’ he said.
‘I take the view that the receipt of the whip is an honour, not a right and as such it cannot be discarded or returned at will if it is to have any meaning.’
The missive provoked a furious response from Ms Rudd, who shot back: ‘Funny thing really, as just last week the PM asked me to stand in the General Election.’
She also delivered a thinly-veiled swipe at maverick Downing Street strategist Dominic Cummings, saying the chief whip had been briefed by the ‘wrong No10 sources’.
It underlines the dramatic fall from grace for Ms Rudd, who was once touted as a potential future Tory leader.
Ms Rudd had a wafer-thin majority of just 346 in the 2017 election – meaning her seat is one of Labour’s top targets.
However, the constituency voted 56 per cent for Leave, suggesting that a Brexiteer Conservative candidate might have better prospects.
In a brutal letter (right), chief whip Mark Spencer refused the plea from Amber Rudd (left) to be let back in to the Tory fold
The chief whip’s missive provoked a furious Twitter response from Ms Rudd
‘I’m not finished with politics, I’m just not standing at this election,’ Ms Rudd told the Evening Standard.
She added: ‘I spoke to the Prime Minister and had a good meeting with him a few days ago. I’m really confident of my position.
‘I will be leaving the House of Commons on perfectly good terms with the Prime Minister and I want him to succeed.’
Ms Rudd said she will meet Chief Whip Mark Spencer yesterday and ask for the whip back. I’m happy to leave the House of Commons as a Conservative MP,’ she said.
A string of other prominent pro-Remain MPs have announced they are standing down. They include Theresa May’s former deputy Sir David Lidington and former ministers Sir Patrick McLoughlin, Sir Alan Duncan, Kenneth Clarke, Sir Oliver Letwin, Sir Nicholas Soames, Claire Perry, Richard Benyon, Seema Kennedy, Alistair Burt and Mr Johnson’s brother Jo.
Veteran MP Keith Simpson, who is also stepping down, last night warned a battle was under way for the soul of the Conservative Party, which risked alienating Tory moderates.
He added: ‘There are so many good One Nation colleagues standing down. Boris may get back some Brexiteer Tory and Labour voters but he is losing the liberal Conservatives – it’s how not to get a majority.’
Mrs Morgan, who has represented Loughborough since 2010, insisted she was not quitting because of political differences with the PM. Sources said she would join him on the campaign trail during the election.
It is understood her decision was prompted by ‘family reasons’, although she is also said to have tired at the abuse levelled at her during years of fractious Brexit debates.
In a statement last night, the mother of one said being an MP had been ‘the greatest privilege of my life’.
But she also cited ‘the clear impact on my family and the other sacrifices involved in, and the abuse for, doing the job of a modern MP’.
Mr Lidington, who is MP for Aylesbury, cited the ‘heavy cost’ of politics on family life in a letter to The Bucks Herald newspaper.
Ms Rudd said she had a ‘good meeting’ with Boris Johnson (pictured in the Commons yesterday) and was happy to return to the Tory fold
Greg Clark, the former business secretary, and Sir Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill, were among the 10 rebels who had the whip restored
Dominic Grieve, a former attorney general and mastermind of several backbench revolts against the Government, confirmed he will run again as an Independent
Ms Sandbach (left) said she would also go head-to-head with a Tory in Eddisbury, Cheshire
A graphic showing where the vote will be won and lost throughout the country in the snap poll taking place on December 12
Mrs Morgan’s decision came just hours after Miss Rudd became locked in a bitter briefing war with No 10 after she was ruthlessly blocked from returning to the Tory fold. Miss Rudd, who quit as work and pensions secretary two months ago, announced she would not be contesting the next election.
But she said she wanted to regain the Tory whip for her final days in Parliament, after rebuilding bridges with Mr Johnson, a personal friend. However, that hope was brutally rebuffed by Tory chief whip Mark Spencer, who said he didn’t trust her not to abandon the Prime Minister again.
Miss Rudd immediately hit back, accusing ‘No 10 sources’ of briefing against her and revealing Mr Johnson tried – only last week – to convince her to stand at the election.
Her allies claimed the PM had offered her the plum West Sussex seat being vacated by Sir Nicholas Soames.
At the end of September, Miss Rudd quit the Cabinet and the party in protest at Mr Johnson’s Brexit strategy and his decision to expel 21 Tory rebels. At the time she accused him of abandoning attempts to leave with a deal, and called the expulsions an ‘act of political vandalism’.
On Tuesday night Mr Johnson restored the whip to ten of the 21 who voted against him on Brexit – a move that appeared to signal he wanted to draw a line under his brutal purge.
Miss Rudd then announced she would not be standing on December 12, but she told the Evening Standard: ‘I’m not finished with politics, I’m just not standing at this election.’
Boris Johnson (left in Downing Street last night) is facing off with Jeremy Corbyn (right leaving his London home this morning) in the Commons later
The likely manifestos for Boris Johnson’s Tories and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party for the upcoming December 12 election
The leading One Nation Tory also revealed she had spoken to Mr Johnson last week and they were now on ‘perfectly good terms’.
She said she intended to meet Mr Spencer and formally ask for the whip back, saying: ‘I’m happy to leave the House of Commons as a Conservative MP.’
‘I spoke to the Prime Minister and had a good meeting with him a few days ago,’ she revealed.
But just hours after the interview was published, Mr Spencer said she would not be allowed back in – because he feared she could ‘change her mind’ again.
In a letter, leaked to the Mail, he wrote: ‘When you surrendered the Conservative Party whip and resigned from the Cabinet just eight weeks ago, you were clear that you did not support the approach of the Prime Minister and did not have confidence in him.’
Boris Johnson is more trusted than Jeremy Corbyn to safely steward the NHS, new poll of voters reveals
By Simon Walters and Jason Groves for the Daily Mail
Boris Johnson is more trusted to care for the NHS than Jeremy Corbyn, according to a poll for the Daily Mail.
Asked which leader had the best health policies, 36 per cent of voters said Mr Johnson while 34 per cent opted for Mr Corbyn.
In another blow to the Labour leader, nearly one in six supporters of his party are terrified at the thought of him becoming prime minister. And four in ten would be more likely to stick with Labour in the December 12 General Election if Mr Corbyn stood down.
Even Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson was seen as stronger, more statesmanlike and smarter than Mr Corbyn in the Survation poll of 1,010 voters.
The Labour leader yesterday used his last Commons clash with the Prime Minister before the election to accuse him of putting the NHS ‘up for grabs’ to secure a trade deal with the United States.
Mr Johnson dismissed the claims and said a Labour government would be an ‘economic catastrophe’.
The graphic above shows how UK voters back Prime Minister Boris Johnson over Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn
Asked which leader had the best health policies, 36 per cent of voters said Mr Johnson while 34 per cent opted for Mr Corbyn (above)
Even Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson (pictured above) was seen as stronger, more statesmanlike and smarter than Mr Corbyn in the Survation poll of 1,010 voters
The election battle gets under way properly yesterday, with Mr Johnson visiting a hospital in East Anglia in his drive to convince the public the NHS is safe in his hands. He will use this first campaign visit to accuse Mr Corbyn of thwarting his ‘do or die’ pledge to take Britain out of the EU on time.
Mr Johnson, who said he would rather be ‘dead in a ditch’ than delay Brexit beyond tonight, will acknowledge the deadline has been missed – but lay the blame on Labour.
In other electoral developments yesterday:
- Nicky Morgan and Amber Rudd both announced they were quitting as MPs, leading a growing exodus from Parliament of Tory Remainers;
- Mr Johnson is poised to make a substantial offer of free childcare in the Tory election manifesto;
- The Prime Minister was also poised to announce a moratorium on fracking;
- Mr Corbyn prepared to launch his campaign with a pledge to tackle the ‘corrupt system’ of tax dodgers and bad bosses;
- Labour was accused of risking the break-up of Britain by saying it wouldn’t block a second Scottish independence referendum;
- The Lib Dems were in talks with the Greens and Plaid Cymru over a Remain pact;
- Nigel Farage suggested his Brexit Party will target Labour Leave seats;
- Dominic Grieve and Antoinette Sandbach said they would stand as independents in their current seats – against Tory candidates;
- Mr Corbyn challenged Mr Johnson to a TV debate during the campaign.
Yesterday’s poll suggests that Mr Johnson’s decision to make the NHS a top priority since entering No 10 is paying off. As well as being ahead on the NHS, the Prime Minister is 18 points ahead on jobs, a key issue for working-class voters.
Mr Johnson is streets ahead on the economy, defence, trade and foreign relations. The only issue where Mr Corbyn is in the lead is welfare.
The Tories have 34 per cent support overall, eight points ahead of Labour on 26, with the Lib Dems on 19 and the Brexit Party on 12.
That would be enough to give the Prime Minister a slim Commons majority.
According to those surveyed, Mr Johnson’s poll advantage could increase over the six-week contest. A total of 44 per cent say he is the best campaigner, with Mr Corbyn on 21 and Miss Swinson on ten. Asked who would be the best PM, Mr Johnson scores 42 and Mr Corbyn 19, only four ahead of Swinson on 15.
Nicky Morgan (left) and Amber Rudd (right) both announced that they were quitting as MPs Parliament, leading a growing exodus from Parliament of Tory Remainers
And in an encouraging sign for Mr Johnson’s attempt to squeeze the Brexit vote, support for Mr Farage’s party continues to fall. It is now barely half the level it was before Mr Johnson entered No 10. In the same period, Tory support has steadily risen, suggesting Conservatives who switched to the Brexit Party when Theresa May was leader are returning to the fold.
The figures provide further evidence that Mr Corbyn’s fence-sitting on Brexit could see Labour support haemorrhage to the fervently anti-Brexit Lib Dems.
Mr Johnson’s Brexit stance is favoured by 41 per cent; Remainer Miss Swinson is on 23 with Mr Corbyn on a meagre 15.
A total of 42 per cent of Labour supporters say they would be more likely to vote for the party if Mr Corbyn stepped down; 18 per cent say they would be less likely to vote Labour.
Nigel Farage (pictured above) suggested that the Brexit Party will target Labour Leave seats – which could still cost the Tories an election win
Dominic Grieve (left) and Antoinette Sandbach (right) said they would stand as independents in their current seats – against Tory candidates
Nor were voters convinced by Mr Corbyn’s excuses for initially holding out against a December election.
Nearly half say he did so because he was scared of losing; 30 per cent say it was to avoid No Deal; just 9 per cent believed him when he said it would be too cold to vote.
More than half of voters (51 per cent) say Mr Johnson is right to have called a poll.
Astonishingly, 15 per cent of Labour voters will feel ‘fear’ if Mr Corbyn triumphs on December 12; 58 per cent will be ‘joyful.’ Similarly, one in ten Labour voters will feel ‘joy’ if Mr Johnson is victorious; 73 per cent will be ‘fearful’.
The Conservative lead extends across the parties’ front benches. Chancellor Sajid Javid, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab are all more popular than Labour counterparts John McDonnell, Diane Abbott and Emily Thornberry.
A total of 44 per cent blame Parliament for forcing the Prime Minister to break his ‘die in a ditch’ pledge to leave the EU by yesterday; 32 per cent point the finger at Mr Johnson himself; 11 per cent blame Brussels.
Survation interviewed 1,010 adults online on Tuesday and yesterday after all four main parties backed a December election.