Boris Johnson warned to avoid senior Tory backbencher
Prime minister snapped holding memo advising against meeting alone with lockdown critic Graham Brady
Boris Johnson has been photographed carrying a memo thought to have been written by a senior aide that warns against meeting a senior Tory backbencher alone.
The note was spotted by waiting press as the prime minister returned to Downing Street following Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, The Times reports.
The memo said that Graham Brady, chair of the influential 1922 Committee, had asked for a “catch-up”, but added that “it is important that at least the Chief [whip] stays in the room” during the meeting.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“Whilst he will seek more regular meetings (let me handle this and don’t agree to anything), he will almost certainly raise the Covid response and the lockdown,” said the note, entitled “Meeting with Sir Graham Brady – Wednesday 13th May 2020”.
It was signed “Enjoy, BG” - initials thought to stand for Ben Gasgoine, the PM’s political secretary.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of��the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The memo also documents Brady’s public criticism of the government’s coronavirus lockdown strategy.
Addressing the Commons last week, Brady said the British public has been “too willing" to comply with the social distancing measures and that “arbitrary rules and limitations of freedom” should be removed “as quickly as possible”, as PoliticsHome reported at the time.
Other members of the 1922 Committee have also voiced concerns about the lockdown. At a tense meeting last month, the backbenchers urged the government to lift the lockdown in early May or risk devastating the economy, according to the BBC.
One 1922 member told the broadcaster: “If we don’t do that, we really will see thousands of businesses go under.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Sorcha Bradley is a writer at The Week and a regular on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. She worked at The Week magazine for a year and a half before taking up her current role with the digital team, where she mostly covers UK current affairs and politics. Before joining The Week, Sorcha worked at slow-news start-up Tortoise Media. She has also written for Sky News, The Sunday Times, the London Evening Standard and Grazia magazine, among other publications. She has a master’s in newspaper journalism from City, University of London, where she specialised in political journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 3, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - presidential pitching, wavering convictions, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Why Man United finally lost patience with ten Hag
Talking Point After another loss United sacked ten Hag in hopes of success in the Champion's League
By The Week UK Published
-
Who are the markets backing in the US election?
Talking Point Speculators are piling in on the Trump trade. A Harris victory would come as a surprise
By The Week UK Published
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Bob Woodward's War: the explosive Trump revelations
In the spotlight Nobody can beat Watergate veteran at 'getting the story of the White House from the inside'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Trump kept up with Putin, sent Covid tests, book says
Speed Read The revelation comes courtesy of a new book by Bob Woodward
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'The federal government's response to the latest surge has been tepid at best'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Is Britain about to 'boil over'?
Today's Big Question A message shared across far-right groups listed more than 30 potential targets for violence in the UK today
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
UK's Starmer slams 'far-right thuggery' at riots
Speed Read The anti-immigrant violence was spurred by false rumors that the suspect in the Southport knife attack was an immigrant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden tests positive for Covid in fresh blow to campaign
Speed Read The president said he would consider dropping out of the race if presented with a "medical condition"
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published