A Conservative MP laid into his pro-Rishi Sunak colleagues in their official WhatsApp chat, before sensationally quitting the group, the Express understands.
Sir James Duddridge, a strident Boris Johnson loyalist, sent a message condemning Tory MPs who now call for unity after bringing down their 2019 election winner.
In texts seen by this paper, Sir James responded to a text from former Cabinet minister Brandon Lewis imploring MPs to act as “one team”.
He sarcastically replied: “Absolutely, one team or we fall…
“Once we failed to back Boris we were f***ed. You reap what you sow.”
The Rockford and Southend East MP, who is standing down at the election, then quit the group chat.
Elsewhere in Parliament, Tory MPs rallied to unify behind Rishi Sunak as he attended the 1922 Committee.
Speaking to his troops this evening, Mr Sunak took aim at the minority of Tory rebels who he said were “harming every one of us”.
Tories reacted warmly to the Prime Minister’s performance at the 1922 Committee with frequent sustained banging of tables – up to one minute long at points.
He is understood to have said that a “small number” of Tories are making him angry, adding that they “aren’t just harming me, they are harming every one of us in this room.”
Tory MPs slammed the small number of rebels by calling on them to “shut up” and warning they “harm us all”.
Former Business Secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said he was supporting Mr Sunak adding: “May he go on as long as Walpole”, who served as Prime Minister for 21 years.
Another Tory MP said Mr Sunak’s almost hour-long performance was “the best we’ve seen him [give] in a while”.
Speaking to gathered journalists afterward, Tory backbencher Jonathan Gullis insisted there was broad support for Mr Sunak, adding he wanted to “call out those idiots for being idiots” when asked about the Prime Minister’s critics.
He said: “People don’t vote for divided parties.”
But Sir Jake Berry confronted Mr Sunak about supposed briefings against him over the weekend that the former party chair alleged came from No 10.
He said he would stay loyal and has not submitted a letter of no confidence.
