'May would make Blair BLUSH’: Prime Minister’s ‘bunker mentality’ to be her UNDOING
THERESA May's disregard for constitutional norms would make Tony Blair blush and her bunker style mentality of leadership will "ultimately be her undoing", a former Tory chief of staff has warned.
Nadine Dorries: Number 10 are not listening to Chequers criticism
As unrest over Brexit continues to divide the party, a former Tory staff member compared the Prime Minister’s style of government to Tony Blair's time in office.
Stewart Jackson, ex-chief of staff to ex-Brexit secretary David Davis, said Mr Blair only consulted a trusted few members of Cabinet instead of all ministers on the decision to go to war in Iraq as he stressed Mrs May relies on a tight inner circle.
Mr Jackson told POLITICO: “Theresa May’s disregard of the constitutional norms of Cabinet government would make Iraq War-era Tony Blair blush. And he had a three-figure parliamentary majority.
“The Prime Minister’s modus operandi has always been a bunker mentality, little or no trust beyond the inner circle and an over-reliance on those who unquestionably validate her point of view.
"It’s quite concerning and it will ultimately be her undoing quite soon.”
Outspoken Chequers critic and head of the European Research Group, Jacob Rees-Mogg, questioned if the Cabinet was doing the right thing at a committee meeting before Parliament broke up for its summer recess.
Mr Jackson said Mrs May has “sidelined” key figures who have disagreed with her policies and approach, in the run up to her Chequers White Paper being announced in the summer.
He claimed Mrs May’s Government relies heavily on the input of European advisor Ollie Robbins and trusts only a handful of ministers- effectively sidelining the likes of Mr Davis and former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.
Mr Jackson said: “It’s clear that only a minority of key ministers — Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington, Clark and Phillip Hammond — were in the loop and the rest of the Cabinet were bounced with hours to spare and presented with a 120-page document on the complex and politically challenging Chequers proposals.”
Brexit supporter MP Bernard Jenkin and chair of the House of Commons’ public administration and constitutional affairs committee also echoed the comments, at a hearing with then acting Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill before the Parliamentary summer break.
According to POLITICO, Mr Jenkin said at the hearing: “By the time the Chequers Cabinet took place there was a pre-determination to pursue a course of action. It was a rubber-stamping exercise.
“I gather there was a great deal of discussion but the prime minister had determined the policy.”
Mr Jackson's comments echo that of opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn in October 2017, who said the Prime Minister was “insecure” in her decisions about Brexit and the running of the country.
And on Sunday top Tory Breixteeer MP Nadine Dorries ripped into the Chequers plan that Mrs May and her Cabinet are continuing to champion.
Mrs Dorries accused Mrs May of "not listening" to the British public.
She said: "What Number 10 are doing is they’re almost in a bunker, and despite the fact that the Chequers deal is not liked by Remainers, by the European Commission, by Leavers, by anybody. Number 10 are just not listening. Like Dementia Tax, where the party was nearly taken off the cliff by this attitude, May is continuing with this bunker-like mentality."
Express.co.uk have contacted Downing Street for further comment.