- Morgan was discussing private conversations with ministers about Tory wars
- But she slipped up and referred to to a ‘very senior cabinet minister’ as ‘she’
- Only Amber Rudd fits the description in Theresa May’s current Cabinet
In an awkward on-air gaffe, Nicky Morgan (pictured today on Peston on Sunday) was a discussing private conversation with a ‘very senior Cabinet minister’ before referring to them as ‘she’
Amber Rudd is ‘appalled’ by Brexiteer briefing against Chancellor Philip Hammond, senior Tory MP Nicky Morgan apparently revealed today.
In an awkward on-air gaffe, Ms Morgan was a discussing private conversation with a ‘very senior Cabinet minister’ before referring to them as ‘she’.
Only the Home Secretary is likely to meet the description in Theresa May’s current top team.
Ms Morgan said the minster was ‘appalled’ by the frenzy of briefing against Mr Hammond for being too negative about Brexit.
The Chancellor has endured a bruising week of calls for him to be sacked. Today’s Sunday newspapers continuing the battering.
Mr Hammond was also humiliated on Friday when he had to apologise for branding the EU ‘the enemy’.
Ms Morgan, the chairwoman of the Treasury committee, told Peston on Sunday: ‘I think those who are calling for him to be sacked are incredibly self-indulgent.
‘I have been contacted by a very senior Cabinet minister who is appalled at what she is reading in the newspapers this morning.
‘It’s not on to have all of this, it’s not helpful for anybody to have ministers being attacked, whether it’s the Chancellor or the Foreign Secretary when something as critical as Brexit negotiations are going on.’
Ms Rudd is the only ‘very senior’ female Cabinet minister apart from the Prime Minister.
The gaffe suggests Home Secretary Amber Rudd (pictured at Lancaster House earlier this week) is ‘appalled’ by Brexiteer briefing against Chancellor Philip Hammond
When pressed on whether which female she had been speaking to, she said: ‘I’m not going to tell you who has been contacting me but I think they are talking for others in the Cabinet and the parliamentary party.
‘The majority of MPs in the parliamentary party do not want Philip Hammond to be sacked.’
The Transport Secretary today denied the Chancellor faced the sack over Brexit but used a TV interview to dismiss the suggestion planes could be grounded.
Chris Grayling did not deny there were disagreements inside Government but said this was because ministers were ‘not clones’.
He insisted there was a ‘collaborative’ approach that produced a ‘coherent’ Cabinet position.
The Chancellor (pictured in Washington on Friday) has endured a bruising week of calls for him to be sacked. Today’s Sunday newspapers continuing the battering