Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has been removed from a Whatsapp group of Conservative MPs after praising Boris Johnson, it has been reported.
In the exchanges, published by Sky News, a number of MPs discussed the impact of the Brexit minister Lord Frost’s resignation on the “Clean Global Brexit” group chat on Saturday evening.
Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, allegedly shared an article about Lord Frost’s departure with the caption “very worrying the Lord Frost has gone”.
Andrew Bridgen MP then seemed to respond: “Worrying? It’s a disaster. Lord Frost was concerned about the policy direction of the Gov. So are most of the Conservative backbenchers.”
Marcus Fysh, the MP for Yeovil, reportedly called Frost a “hero” and “100% right on this”, while Geoffrey Clifton-Barton, MP for the Cotswolds, allegedly described the move as “a further hammer blow for the PM”.
Culture secretary Nadine Dorries then decided to stick up for the prime minister calling him a “hero” who delivered Brexit, according to the messages.
She added: “I’m aware as someone said today that regicide is in the DNA of Conservative party, but a bit of loyalty to the person who won an 83 majority and delivered Brexit wouldn’t go amiss.”
At this point, a screenshot of the Whatsapp chat appears to show Steve Baker, one of the pro-Brexit ‘Spartan’ group of MPs, removing Nadine Dorries from the group.
He then wrote: “Enough is enough”.
To which, Andrew Bridgen MP responded: “About time, thanks Steve.”
However later in the conversation Conor Burns, minister of state for Northern Ireland, appeared to support Nadine Dorries, writing her comments were “absolutely right”.
The apparent in-fighting comes after a bumpy few weeks for Boris Johnson’s premiership – including the Libdem victory in North Shropshire and questions over lockdown parties.
Brexit minister Lord Frost quit over concerns about the high-tax, high-spend direction of the Conservative party and new Covid restrictions.
Kaynak: briturkish.com