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| Boris Johnson not fit to be PM, says Tory minister | Boris Johnson not fit to be PM, says Tory minister |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| Boris Johnson has been branded an unacceptable candidate to be prime minister by the Conservative minister Margot James, because of his “fuck business” remark when asked about companies’ concerns over Brexit. | Boris Johnson has been branded an unacceptable candidate to be prime minister by the Conservative minister Margot James, because of his “fuck business” remark when asked about companies’ concerns over Brexit. |
| James, a business minister and leading member of the One Nation Conservative group, said the comment meant Johnson was not fit for “high public office” as she addressed a Creative England event in London. | James, a business minister and leading member of the One Nation Conservative group, said the comment meant Johnson was not fit for “high public office” as she addressed a Creative England event in London. |
| Speaking later to the Guardian, she said some of her colleagues promoting Brexit at any cost to business had the “wrong attitude”. | Speaking later to the Guardian, she said some of her colleagues promoting Brexit at any cost to business had the “wrong attitude”. |
| “I don’t think people in the public eye should be using language like that to discuss the concerns of the business community,” she said. “It’s the dismissive attitude to business that’s a problem among some people for whom Brexit is everything.” | “I don’t think people in the public eye should be using language like that to discuss the concerns of the business community,” she said. “It’s the dismissive attitude to business that’s a problem among some people for whom Brexit is everything.” |
| She said another pro-Brexit leadership hopeful had privately been dismissive about businesses’ concerns to her, saying: “Oh, the tech industry is always moaning.” | She said another pro-Brexit leadership hopeful had privately been dismissive about businesses’ concerns to her, saying: “Oh, the tech industry is always moaning.” |
| She said: “That these people should be anywhere near the levers of power is quite worrying.” | She said: “That these people should be anywhere near the levers of power is quite worrying.” |
| Johnson was reported to have made the “fuck business” remark in July last year when asked about industry’s concerns over Brexit at a diplomatic event. | Johnson was reported to have made the “fuck business” remark in July last year when asked about industry’s concerns over Brexit at a diplomatic event. |
| He later refused to deny he had made the comments, acknowledging in the Commons that he may have “expressed scepticism about some of the views of those who profess to speak up for business”. | He later refused to deny he had made the comments, acknowledging in the Commons that he may have “expressed scepticism about some of the views of those who profess to speak up for business”. |
| It comes at a time when the One Nation group is flexing its muscles and putting pressure on Tory leadership candidates not to swing too far to the right. | It comes at a time when the One Nation group is flexing its muscles and putting pressure on Tory leadership candidates not to swing too far to the right. |
| The 60-strong group of MPs also includes Amber Rudd, George Freeman, Nicky Morgan and Damian Green. It launched a mini-manifesto on Monday espousing human rights, social responsibility and the fight against injustice. | The 60-strong group of MPs also includes Amber Rudd, George Freeman, Nicky Morgan and Damian Green. It launched a mini-manifesto on Monday espousing human rights, social responsibility and the fight against injustice. |
| Earlier in the week, James said she thought it would be difficult for the group to back any leadership candidate that supported a no-deal Brexit. | Earlier in the week, James said she thought it would be difficult for the group to back any leadership candidate that supported a no-deal Brexit. |
| The environment secretary is to pitch himself as a “unity candidate” capable of attracting leavers and remainers, as he formally declared his candidacy saying: “I believe that I’m ready to unite the Conservative and Unionist party, ready to deliver Brexit and ready to lead this great country.” But robust Brexiters in particular dislike the fact that he stayed loyal even in the final days of the crumbling May regime. | The environment secretary is to pitch himself as a “unity candidate” capable of attracting leavers and remainers, as he formally declared his candidacy saying: “I believe that I’m ready to unite the Conservative and Unionist party, ready to deliver Brexit and ready to lead this great country.” But robust Brexiters in particular dislike the fact that he stayed loyal even in the final days of the crumbling May regime. |
| He received 37 votes in the first round, coming third. | He received 37 votes in the first round, coming third. |
| Fears that the foreign secretary would be another overly woolly compromise choice were hardly assuaged when after a set-piece speech he seemed unable to outline why his brand of Conservatism might appeal to voters. Hunt has been backed by Liam Fox. | Fears that the foreign secretary would be another overly woolly compromise choice were hardly assuaged when after a set-piece speech he seemed unable to outline why his brand of Conservatism might appeal to voters. Hunt has been backed by Liam Fox. |
| He received 43 votes in the first round, placing him second. | He received 43 votes in the first round, placing him second. |
| The home secretary still has the same weaknesses: he is an uninspiring speaker and some worry he is too fond of headline-grabbing, illiberal political gestures. But he is almost as ubiquitous as Liz Truss, and clearly believes this is his time. | The home secretary still has the same weaknesses: he is an uninspiring speaker and some worry he is too fond of headline-grabbing, illiberal political gestures. But he is almost as ubiquitous as Liz Truss, and clearly believes this is his time. |
| He received 23 votes in the first round. | He received 23 votes in the first round. |
| The out-and-out favourite, so popular with the Tory grassroots that it would be hard for MPs to not make Johnson one of the final two. He has been relatively quiet recently, beyond his regular Telegraph column, but this is very deliberate. | The out-and-out favourite, so popular with the Tory grassroots that it would be hard for MPs to not make Johnson one of the final two. He has been relatively quiet recently, beyond his regular Telegraph column, but this is very deliberate. |
| Johnson won the first round with 114 votes. | Johnson won the first round with 114 votes. |
| The former work and pensions secretary, who quit last year over May’s Brexit plans, has launched her own in-party campaign group/leadership vehicle called Blue Collar Conservatism, promising to make the party more amenable to voters in deprived communities – mainly through a promise to deliver a strong Brexit and policies such as diverting much of the foreign aid budget to schools and police. | The former work and pensions secretary, who quit last year over May’s Brexit plans, has launched her own in-party campaign group/leadership vehicle called Blue Collar Conservatism, promising to make the party more amenable to voters in deprived communities – mainly through a promise to deliver a strong Brexit and policies such as diverting much of the foreign aid budget to schools and police. |
| Raab got 27 votes in the first round. | Raab got 27 votes in the first round. |
| Few things say “would-be leader in waiting” like a kitchen photoshoot with your spouse, and the former Brexit secretary duly obliged with this imageawash with tasteful pastel hues. He formally launched his bid in the Mail on Sunday. Among the more core constituency of Conservative MPs, Raab has been pushing hard, as has his semi-official “Ready for Raab” Twitter feed. | Few things say “would-be leader in waiting” like a kitchen photoshoot with your spouse, and the former Brexit secretary duly obliged with this imageawash with tasteful pastel hues. He formally launched his bid in the Mail on Sunday. Among the more core constituency of Conservative MPs, Raab has been pushing hard, as has his semi-official “Ready for Raab” Twitter feed. |
| Stewart got 19 votes in the first round. | Stewart got 19 votes in the first round. |
| “I think it would be difficult for a candidate who would let the country leave without a deal to subscribe to quite a lot of those values [in the manifesto] and the policies that flow from them,” she said. | “I think it would be difficult for a candidate who would let the country leave without a deal to subscribe to quite a lot of those values [in the manifesto] and the policies that flow from them,” she said. |
| “I don’t think many candidates are going to stand up and say: ‘I think the country should leave without a deal.’ | “I don’t think many candidates are going to stand up and say: ‘I think the country should leave without a deal.’ |
| “But there are candidates who will go out of their way to make sure the country doesn’t leave without a deal and that is what we need to ensure we get out of this leadership contest.” | “But there are candidates who will go out of their way to make sure the country doesn’t leave without a deal and that is what we need to ensure we get out of this leadership contest.” |
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