This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/aug/19/brexit-tory-mps-warn-of-entryism-threat-from-leave-eu-supporters

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Brexit: Tory MPs warn of entryism threat from Leave.EU supporters Brexit: Tory MPs warn of entryism threat from Leave.EU supporters
(35 minutes later)
Conservative MPs are warning of a risk of entryism in the party as the pro-Brexit group Leave.EU encourages its supporters to become members in order to back Boris Johnson or Jacob Rees-Mogg in a future leadership contest.Conservative MPs are warning of a risk of entryism in the party as the pro-Brexit group Leave.EU encourages its supporters to become members in order to back Boris Johnson or Jacob Rees-Mogg in a future leadership contest.
Conservative party rules mean anyone who has been a member for more than three months can vote in a leadership contest. Grassroots members have the final say between a pair of candidates, selected by Conservative MPs in a series of ballots.Conservative party rules mean anyone who has been a member for more than three months can vote in a leadership contest. Grassroots members have the final say between a pair of candidates, selected by Conservative MPs in a series of ballots.
Leave.EU was set up by the rightwing businessman and Ukip-backer Arron Banks to fight the 2016 referendum, but lost out to the more mainstream Vote Leave in its bid to be the official Brexit campaign group.Leave.EU was set up by the rightwing businessman and Ukip-backer Arron Banks to fight the 2016 referendum, but lost out to the more mainstream Vote Leave in its bid to be the official Brexit campaign group.
It claims to have 88,000 supporters, and is urging them to “flood” the Tory party to elect a “true Brexiteer” such as Johnson or Rees-Mogg.It claims to have 88,000 supporters, and is urging them to “flood” the Tory party to elect a “true Brexiteer” such as Johnson or Rees-Mogg.
Fed up of how this weak "conservative" government has handled Brexit?A leadership contest is inevitable. Join the huge number of our members already flooding the Tory party, ready to elect a true Brexiteer.Help put the spine back into the Tory party: https://t.co/Vgc33bXJWn pic.twitter.com/GUy1UWix07Fed up of how this weak "conservative" government has handled Brexit?A leadership contest is inevitable. Join the huge number of our members already flooding the Tory party, ready to elect a true Brexiteer.Help put the spine back into the Tory party: https://t.co/Vgc33bXJWn pic.twitter.com/GUy1UWix07
“These people are absolutely dedicated to their cause. And you don’t need an awful lot of people to make a huge amount of difference – so it’s really worrying,” said the Tory MP Anna Soubry, who has repeatedly rebelled against her party to support a soft Brexit.“These people are absolutely dedicated to their cause. And you don’t need an awful lot of people to make a huge amount of difference – so it’s really worrying,” said the Tory MP Anna Soubry, who has repeatedly rebelled against her party to support a soft Brexit.
Soubry claimed local associations had few resources to check the credentials of potential members. She claimed local associations had few resources to check the credentials of potential members. “Some of it is people who over Europe felt they no longer support us and went off to Ukip and are now rejoining the party,” she said. Ukip’s support collapsed in the 2017 general election, as May promised to deliver Brexit.
“Some of it is people who over Europe felt they no longer support us and went off to Ukip and are now rejoining the party,” she added. Ukip’s support collapsed in the 2017 general election, as May promised to deliver Brexit.
Her fellow MPs Nicky Morgan and Phillip Lee have also sounded the alarm, with Morgan backing a call from the one nation Tory Reform Group to its supporters, urging them to check their membership is up to date.Her fellow MPs Nicky Morgan and Phillip Lee have also sounded the alarm, with Morgan backing a call from the one nation Tory Reform Group to its supporters, urging them to check their membership is up to date.
Lee, who resigned from the government over its refusal to back Dominic Grieve’s amendment on giving MPs a meaningful vote, tweeted that there was evidence of “entryism”, and it was time to “wake up & act against a hard right Momentum”. Lee, who resigned from the government over its refusal to back Dominic Grieve’s amendment on giving MPs a meaningful vote, tweeted that there was evidence of “entryism”, and it was time to “wake up and act against a hard-right Momentum”.
The latest published figures showed Tory membership at 124,000, making it less than a quarter of the size of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party and raising the risk that a relatively small number of activists could influence the outcome of a poll.The latest published figures showed Tory membership at 124,000, making it less than a quarter of the size of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party and raising the risk that a relatively small number of activists could influence the outcome of a poll.
Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, said: “It does seem like quite a sensible thing for people to do, if they’re ideologically obsessed with Brexit.” Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, said: “It does seem like quite a sensible thing for people to do, if they’re ideologically obsessed with Brexit.
“What we do know is that quite a lot of people joined immediately after Brexit, assuming that there was going to be a leadership contest – so there is a precedent.” “What we do know is that quite a lot of people joined immediately after Brexit, assuming that there was going to be a leadership contest, so there is a precedent.”
At that time, in 2016, members did not get the opportunity to vote, as Theresa May became the sole candidate after Andrea Leadsom dropped out at a late stage. In 2016 members did not get the opportunity to vote, as Theresa May became the sole candidate after Andrea Leadsom dropped out at a late stage. Bale added: “It’s difficult to believe that the membership would elect a remainer anyway, so it’s all about the degree of Brexit that they’re going to get from any leader.”
Bale added: “It’s difficult to believe that the membership would elect a remainer anyway – so it’s all about the degree of Brexit that they’re going to get from any leader.” With many of May’s MPs in open revolt over the Chequers deal, and a series of crunch votes looming in the autumn, her leadership appears increasingly fragile.
With many of Theresa May’s MPs in open revolt over the Chequers deal, and a series of crunch votes looming in the autumn, her leadership appears increasingly fragile. Johnson resigned as foreign secretary in July, saying he could not support the negotiating position reached in the cabinet awayday at Chequers, which includes accepting a “common rulebook” for the goods and food sectors. He has not called for May to be replaced as prime minister, despite saying her Brexit plan would leave Britain in “miserable, permanent limbo”.
Johnson resigned as foreign secretary in July, saying he could not support the negotiating position reached in the cabinet awayday at Chequers, which includes accepting a “common rulebook” for the goods and food sectors. But the pro-Brexit European Research Group of MPs, chaired by Rees-Mogg, has made clear it is not willing to accept the Chequers deal. Unless May changes course dramatically, that could mean pushing for a change of leadership.
He has not called for May to be replaced as prime minister, despite warning that her Brexit plan would leave Britain in “miserable, permanent limbo”. Allies of Johnson have denied he is laying the groundwork for a leadership bid, and many in Westminster believe he would be unlikely to muster the backing of enough MPs to make it to the final runoff, when members would get their say.
But the pro-Brexit European Research Group of MPs, chaired by Rees-Mogg, have made clear they are not willing to accept the Chequers deal. Unless May changes course dramatically, that could ultimately mean pushing for a change of leadership. But the former foreign secretary’s provocative newspaper columns since his resignation – including controversial comments about women wearing burqas – have underlined his determination to remain in the limelight.
Allies of Johnson have denied that he is laying the groundwork for a leadership bid, and many in Westminster believe he would be unlikely to muster the backing of enough MPs to make it to the final runoff, when members get their say. Johnson’s successor, Jeremy Hunt, has insisted the Chequers position, set out in a white paper in July, can be the framework for a deal with the EU27. He told ITV on Thursday he was “getting a very strong sense that people want to engage seriously” during his trips to EU capitals in recent weeks.
But the former foreign secretary’s provocative newspaper columns since his resignation – including controversial comments on women wearing burqas – have underlined his determination to remain in the limelight. But with the ERG adamantly opposed, and Labour also rejecting the white paper, it appears unlikely May could win the “meaningful vote” she has promised MPs on the final deal, and it is highly uncertain what would happen next.
Johnson’s successor, Jeremy Hunt, has insisted the Chequers position, set out in a white paper in July, can be the framework for a deal with the EU27. Leave.EU is one of a number of campaign groups focusing their efforts on influencing Tory party policy, including Leave Means Leave, which last week announced it was “relaunching the Brexit campaign” to secure a “swift, clean exit” from the EU.
He told ITV on Thursday he was “getting a very strong sense that people want to engage seriously” during his trips to EU capitals over the summer.
But with the ERG adamantly opposed, and Labour also rejecting the white paper, it appears unlikely May could win the “meaningful vote” she has promised MPs on the final deal – and it is highly uncertain what would happen next.
Leave.EU is one of a number of campaign groups focusing their efforts on influencing Tory party policy – including Leave Means Leave, which last week announced that it was “relaunching the Brexit campaign” to secure a “swift, clean exit” from the EU.
ConservativesConservatives
BrexitBrexit
Boris JohnsonBoris Johnson
Jacob Rees-MoggJacob Rees-Mogg
European Union
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content