A Tory MP has re-sparked the civil war within the party by using a speech at a major gathering of centrist members to take a swipe at his right-wing colleagues in other factions.
One Nation MP Matt Warman joked at an event this evening that his group does not need to pretend there are “five families” of MPs to “make ourselves look bigger than we are”.
It was a clear reference to the five factions of right-wing Tory MPs – dubbing themselves the “five families” – which united last month to try and influence Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill.
Mr Warman told the 180 attendees at the centrist rally: “The One Nation group has been a much louder voice in the past few months than it has for a long time. We’ve been unashamed in putting ourselves forward”.
“We haven’t had to claim that there are five different groups to make ourselves look bigger than we actually are, because the One Nation is the largest group. It’s the largest wing of the Conservative Parliamentary Party by far – with more than 100 declared members.
“We haven’t had to put ‘common sense’ in the name of the group, like the democratic republic pretending that it is a democratic republic.”
“We haven’t had to put ‘new’ in front, because we’ve been around for longer than one election.”
The “five families” of MPs include the New Conservatives, the European Research Group and the Common Sense Group.
His comments, made at a glitzy event held at the posh Reform Club in St James, sparked instant outrage from Tory MP colleagues on the right of the party.
In an instant reaction, one MP said: “Matt Warman: that great ‘one nation’ man. Who was on the executive of Conservative Way Forward in order to get selected as a right winger”.
“What a w****r.”
Security Minister Tom Tugendhat also gave a speech at the do, which will be widely seen as a pitch for the support of the Tory centre ahead of any future leadership contest.
The security minister accused Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer of being “allergic to conviction” at the reception.
He quipped: “For a man who wants to be Prime Minister he’s adopted more positions than the Kama Sutra – but none of them lasted longer than a teenager at Prom!”
“What does he stand for? I don’t know.
“When More in Common asked the public what they thought Sir Keir stood for, the most common response was ‘nothing’, closely followed by ‘don’t know’, ‘unsure’, and ‘no idea’.
“He was going to guarantee free childcare. Now he says he’s ruling that out. He would end outsourcing in the NHS. Now that’s the whole plan.
“He said he’d sweep away the cobwebs in the Lords, but Peter Mandelson disapproved. Now he’s rowed back on everything, what are we left with? Nothing. A willow the wisp in a wig.
“To be fair, he has been consistent – whether for himself or his clients – he’s allergic to conviction.
“But for those of us who know what this country needs, that’s not good enough.
Despite his colleague’s swipe at right-wing Tory MPs, Mr Tugendhat added: “We’re not interested in blue on blue. Compare that to the other choices that will be on the ballot later this year. Ed Davey, who’s finally receiving the publicity he craves – if not quite in the way he expected it”.
