The Dragon Says: PM Ready To Sacrifice Tory Stronghold Guildford To Keep No-Deal

Published on: 7 Sep, 2019
Updated on: 9 Sep, 2019

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has dealt a double body-blow to Guildford’s Conservatives this week.

First, he deselected Guildford MP Anne Milton among 20 other Tory MPs who rebelled against his no-deal Brexit policy and had the whip withdrawn.

Then he told Ms Milton he was ready to give up the Tory seat in Guildford, long seen as a traditionally staunch Conservative stronghold, if that was to be part of the price of no-deal.

This was revealed by fellow rebel Sir Nicholas Soames in The Times today (September 7) from a meeting the PM had with MPs on Wednesday (September 4).

Ms Milton must have already been deeply concerned by the catastrophic Conservative borough council loss in the May elections when the 35 Tory seats won in 2015 were slashed to just nine and the Liberal Democrats took control.

“There was,” Sir Nicholas wrote, “an ‘awful moment’ when Anne Milton, the former deputy chief whip, told the prime minister that if he pressed ahead with his hard Brexit strategy, then ‘Guildford will be gone’ for the Tory party. Mr Johnson’s reply was stunning. He said: ‘Well, Guildford will have to go then’.”

Sir Nicholas, a Tory grandee and grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, had been a Conservative MP for 37 years.

There is a hint of Ms Milton’s intentions in the closing paragraph of her September 6 letter to constituents. She said: “I stand as determined as ever to be a strong, moderate and independent voice for Guildford and my constituents in the House of Commons.”

Rumours reached The Dragon that Ms Milton was considering standing as a “conservative Independent” in a general election. Most of Guildford’s few hundred Conservative members seem to support Mr Johnson’s stance. That means Ms Milton would have to appeal over their heads to the 30,000 or so residents who voted for her at the three previous general elections, many likely to be Remainers, as well as new admirers from other parties.

But this evening a well-placed source strongly dismissed that possibility. And, Mr Johnson himself was dealt a blow as works and pensions secretary Amber Rudd resigned from the cabinet and the Conservative Party, saying in a letter: “I cannot stand by as good, loyal moderate Conservatives are expelled.” She also cited his “failure” to pursue a deal with the EU.

As the prime minister’s position appears to weaken, some believe there is an increasing chance the “black sheep” rebel MPs will be allowed to return to the fold.

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