The Chief Whip who failed to stop LAB’s tricky Brexit motion last night gets promoted
Williamson moves up sharply in the leadership betting
The main job of the Chief Whip is, of course, to ensure that the government’s business gets through the Commons – a job made much more challenging following TMay’s failure to hold onto enough seats on June 8th to maintain the Tory majority.
Last night the government suffered what could be a problematical defeat on a Labour motion on the Brexit impact effect on key sectors – information that it has been trying to keep confidential. LAB drafted the motion in the form of a “humble address” to the Sovereign which makes it more difficult to ignore.
Even arch-Brexit and 2nd favourite to succeed Mrs May, Jacob Rees-Mogg, declared that it would be “a breach of privilege” for the government to ignore the motion which was passed without a vote after the Government said they would not oppose it. Ministers argued, however, that it wasn’t binding.
Surely the Chief Whip should have been able to produce round up enough Tory MPs to at least force a division rather than end up with this mess.
The promotion of Williamson to Defence Secretary is quite remarkable giving he has had no ministerial experience. It looks as though the beleaguered PM is surrounding herself with loyalists.
Williamson is now a “runner” in the leadership betting and has moved into 10/1 with some bookies.