Tory selfishness: MPs threaten rebellion against Theresa May – because they might lose their seats


Conservative MPs are threatening a rebellion against Theresa May over Universal Credit – not because of the harm being done to vulnerable people, but because they’re afraid they might lose their cushy Parliamentary jobs over it.

Here‘s how the story is being reported in The Independent:

The article states: “Tory rebels will defeat the government unless huge cuts for people moving onto universal credit are stopped, Philip Hammond has been warned.

“Up to 30 Conservative backbenchers are ready to act unless the hardest-hit groups – single parents and second earners in families – are given urgent help, one predicted.

“The number is many more than is needed to overturn Theresa May’s fragile majority of just 13, even if she clings onto the support of the Democratic Unionist Party.

“Crucially, regulations still need to be passed to move millions more people onto the controversial new benefits system, creating a clear opening for a Conservative revolt.”

The story that backbenchers are concerned about their constituents who claim Universal Credit – or will in the future – is heartwarming. If only it were true.

Here’s Clare Hepworth to deliver the reality check:

That’s right. These people were happy to put the boot in when they thought there would be no backlash against them.

It’s only now their own easy life is in danger that they’re starting to show concern.

Fake concern.

And that’s no concern at all. It might last until the next general election but if they managed to hoodwink people into electing them again, you can bet they’d be pulling on the jackboots to give the poor a hard kicking the very next day.

Here‘s the sticking-point:

The Independent (again) elaborates:

The article states: “The Conservatives have been hit by a shortage of candidates for the next general election because activists are “demoralised” by Theresa May’s leadership and fear defeat, a party insider has revealed.

“The number of applications is “down on previous years across the board”, the prime minister has been warned – even as the turmoil at Westminster cuts the odds on a snap poll.

“Some branches in target seats have been forced to postpone decisions, despite pressure to get candidates in place early, the executive editor of the ConservativeHome website said.

“The warning comes as the Democratic Unionist Party’s threat to pull its backing for the Tories in a bitter clash over Brexit leaves the government’s future in growing doubt.

“Without the DUP, Ms May lacks a majority and – if unable to pass a budget – will face demands to accept she is unable to govern and must stand down.

“There was also widespread “pessimism about the next election”, with only about one-third of party members expecting an outright Conservative victory.”

Reading between the lines, we may conclude that a general election may happen soon and the Conservatives are in no position to win it, as only around a third of party members believe they can win and the kind of people applying to be candidates in target seats are unlikely to change that outlook.

That’s why backbenchers are suddenly looking for an issue that will make them more popular with the general public – and that’s why they have suddenly developed bleeding hearts over Universal Credit.

But they seem to have forgotten something we all learned recently (during votes on Theresa May’s plans for Brexit):

That’s right. There are no Tory rebels. They always fall back into line when push comes to shove – even when they know Mrs May is betraying them.

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6 Comments

  1. groovmistress October 14, 2018 at 2:08 am - Reply

    On the other hand. It could just be that Tory MPs are doing what they’re supposed to do, that is to represent the wishes of their constituents. Not that I’m in any way supporting them – we all know their REAL views but in a way it’s a damned if they do and damned if they don’t situation. Obviously a Labour government is the real answer and I resent the Tories increasingly cynical hi-jacking of Labour policies in order to remain in power. We need to get them out ‘soon as’, before they dilute their evil philosophy just enough to hoodwink the people into believing they’re not so bad after all.. Another term in office and we’ll be well and truly shafted.

  2. wildthing666 October 14, 2018 at 5:52 am - Reply

    And there you have it MP’s afraid of losing their £77,000 a year seats plus their lucrative expense accounts. As always it’s not the public they are thinking of but themselves.

  3. Justin October 14, 2018 at 8:07 am - Reply

    it goes deeper than that, scrapping of universal credit, accountability for the amount of negligent assessments carried out by the assessors, the decision makers involved and huge fines each time there the assessment is wrong for the companies that have made millions out of this policy to be ploughed into the nhs to offset the cost of treatment caused by there negligence, in case anyone thinks I am joking about that I know of at least one case where cmht have been called out twice, phychiatric intervention and social work intervention all because of a bad decision by them that was equally won at tribunal case proved, deal with the policy and the failures around it and make them, accountable and if that means legal and striking of or referall to the police and cps, the n so be it let them be tried by a court of law, won’t be so many mistakes if they face the risk of losing there livelyhood for there motivation by greed

  4. Royd October 14, 2018 at 9:15 am - Reply

    I wonder how many of them have small majorities? I must admit I thought their outrage had more to do with them losing their seats rather than being ‘outraged’ by the hardship their constituents might be facing. I’m no fan, far from it, of Mrs May but if they’re blaming her for the Tories losing a future general election (may it be so!) rather than Tory policies then they need their bumps feeling.

  5. Michael McNulty October 24, 2018 at 2:17 pm - Reply

    If they’d really been concerned about it they’ve have said so when the law was passing through the commons years ago, not now, not just after the disquiet that’s surfaced.

  6. Justin October 24, 2018 at 5:15 pm - Reply

    time for tories to go with the dup forming a orderly queue behind them for backing up the tory on universal credit

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