Rishi Sunak is this evening under fire for allowing a huge Tory rebellion to go ahead over an issue that won’t help his party’s poll ratings.
While Mr Sunak’s flagship health policy passed the Commons this evening, the PM found himself relying on Labour, LibDem and SNP votes as Tories deserted him.
Fifty-nine Conservative MPs rebelled on the free vote to quash the ‘nanny state’ policy, including Kemi Badenoch and a swathe of ministers.
Meanwhile 106 Tory MPs abstained on the vote, with a source close to Penny Mordaunt letting it be known that she also believes the legislation to be “unworkable”.
This evening Mr Sunak was blasted by a Conservative Party source, who accused him of “picking fights with [his] own MPs”.
They fumed: “At least 165 Conservative MPs didn’t vote for the Prime Minister’s flagship policy tonight, beyond even internal expectation management”. It’s reflective of a wider problem.
“The centre is picking fights with it’s own MPs over banning cigars and shisha while voters are worrying about cost of living and global instability. Tonight could and should have been avoided.”
Meanwhile Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg slammed the legislation as “absurd” and demanded to know why there is “no sense of purpose or urgency in Downing Street” ahead of a feared election wipe-out.
Sir Jacob told GB News: “Is there no sense of purpose or urgency in Downing Street? Politically, the guns are ranged against as we trail Labour by over 20 percent in the opinion polls.
“Nearly a quarter of Tory voters from 2019 have left for Reform. Internationally, the world looks as dangerous as it has in decades, facing complex challenges in the Middle East and Ukraine.
“Domestically, tax is at record levels, the economy is sluggish and unemployment is rising. Immigration is out of control and the small boats continue to come across the channel. Net zero is making people cold and poor, while our electricity costs two and a half times that of the United States.
“Against this background of urgent and pressing problems, what does the government decide to devote its efforts to? The picayune issue of smoking. This lack of sense of proportion is one of the reasons I voted against the government today.”
