Culture secretary Nadine Dorries has been removed from a WhatsApp group of Conservative MPs after praising Boris Johnson, it has been reported.
In the exchange on Saturday evening published by Sky News, a number of Tory MPs discussed the impact Brexit minister Lord Frost’s resignation had in a group chat called “clean global Brexit”.
Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet and former Northern Ireland secretary, allegedly shared an article about Lord Frost’s departure with the caption “very worrying that Lord Frost has gone”.
Andrew Bridgen MP seemed to respond: “Worrying? It’s a disaster. Lord Frost was concerned about the policy direction of the gov. So are most of the Conservative backbenchers.”
Marcus Fysh, the MP for Yeovil, reportedly called Frost a “hero” and “100 per cent right on this”, while Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, MP for the Cotswolds, allegedly described the move as “a further hammer blow for the PM”.
Culture secretary Ms Dorries then stepped in to stick up for the prime minister calling him a “hero” for delivering Brexit, according to the messages.
She added: “I’m aware as someone said today that regicide is in the DNA of Conservative Party, but a bit of loyalty to the person who won an 83 majority and delivered Brexit wouldn’t go amiss.”
At this point, a screenshot of the WhatsApp chat shows Steve Baker, one of 28 so-called pro-Brexit “Spartan” MPs, ousting Nadine Dorries from the group.
He then wrote “enough is enough” to which Andrew Bridgen MP responded: “About time, thanks Steve.”
But later on, minister of state for Northern Ireland Conor Burns, appeared to support Ms Dorries, saying her comments were “absolutely right”.
The apparent infighting comes after a bumpy few weeks for Boris Johnson – including the Lib Dem by-election victory in North Shropshire and criticism over alleged lockdown parties.
Brexit minister Lord Frost quit over concerns about the high-tax, high-spend direction of his party and new Covid restrictions.
