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More on last night’s chaotic fracking vote from Kirsty Buchanan, a former Truss adviser.
“I’ve never seen anything like what I saw last night. It was carnage in the division lobby. We had stories of MPs in tears.
Former Liz Truss adviser Kirsty Buchanan says watching the government in recent weeks has been “disturbing”. pic.twitter.com/Jd1yJgX39J
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) October 20, 2022
BBC Political Editor Chris Mason has spoken to a “very senior Conservative” who believes Liz Truss’ actions were “unforgivable”, “horrible” and “horrific”.
“She has filled the party, the country and there will be a general election.”
In other news, Keir Starmer is expected to deliver a keynote speech at the TUC’s annual congress in Brighton today. Maybe he’s making a few judicious tweaks to this morning’s speech – he’ll be up shortly after 10am.
Some report that Braverman sole is to make a statement of resignation today in the Commons. It would come later this letter strongly criticize the direction of the current government. You can read Aubrey Allegretti’s analysis of this letter here.
Former head of CBI and now head of Business London, Paul Dreschertold the Today program that two-thirds of the cabinet must go, saying the political crisis is making worse others going on right now, such as the cost-of-living crisis.
A long question, a short answer.
Far removed from the current crisis to one that some might say happened a while ago, it still rumbles on. Brexit Correspondent Lisa O’Carroll has this report on the effect of withdrawal on trade. Research by the Institute for Economic and Social Research has found that UK trade with the EU has fallen by 16% from levels predicted if Brexit had not happened. Trade in the opposite direction has fallen even further, by 20%, he found.
Yesterday’s scenes at the fracking vote were “total, absolute, abject chaos”, said ITV’s Tom Bradby.
Jamie Grierson has taken a look at the new Home Secretary, Grant Shappsthe Sunak-backed ex-transport secretary who was earlier sacked by Liz Truss.
A powerful paragraph on the subject of “who is Grant Shapps”:
“… to really answer the question, one must also ponder “who is Michael Green?” – the pseudonym Shapps adopted when he took a second job as the founder of a web publishing company.
Other names he is believed to have used were ‘Sebastian Fox’ or ‘Corinne Stockheath’.
Lord Barwell agreed with Charles Walker’s sentiments and backed calls for a new prime minister last night.
He told World Tonight: “The country is in crisis and needs clear leadership and I think the right thing to do is to turn to the person. [Rishi Sunak] whose judgment has been constantly vindicated.”
Asked whether there should be a general election, Theresa May’s former No 10 chief of staff said he wanted his party to “put order in their House so we can see where the opinion lies public”.
