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William Wragg, the Conservative chair of the Commons public administration and constitutional affairs committee, has accused the government of trying to “blackmail” MPs pushing for a confidence vote in Boris Johnson. He made the claim in an opening statement at the start of this morning’s committee hearing. Wragg, of course, is one of the few Conservative who has publicly called for Johnson to go.
Here is the statement in full.
In recent days a number of members of parliament have faced pressures and intimidation from members of the government because of their declared or assumed desire for a vote of confidence in the party leadership of the prime minister.
It is of course the duty of the government whip’s office to secure the government’s business in the House of Commons.
I understand completely the rage against what happened in Downing Street during lockdown and how the country feels. Maybe Boris Johnson goes and maybe he doesn’t. But the real problem is the absence of a government plan for Britain’s future.
I hesitate when I hear the government slogan ‘Levelling Up’. Other than a desire to give opportunity to those without it, which is obviously hard to disagree with, the slogan risks misdirecting the framing of the country’s problem. We face a national challenge – all the country, not simply the areas ‘left behind’.
There is a gaping hole in the governing of Britain where new ideas should be.
We are living through three revolutionary changes simultaneously and are ill prepared for any of them. Each of them would require major changes to the way we work as a nation. All of them together pose a challenge which is unprecedented in recent history.
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