'SHUT UP!' IDS issues Hammond a STERN WARNING about Chancellor's soft Brexit calls
Brexiteer Iain Duncan Smith had some stern words of wisdom for Philip Hammond after the Chancellor said the UK should stay “as close as possible” with the EU post-Brexit.
IDS: It is ridiculous to suggest a leadership election
The former Conservative leader said that if his Tory colleagues did not have anything to say that aligned with the Government’s position on Brexit, then they should “shut up” and “don’t say it”.
Mr Duncan Smith singled out Chancellor Philip Hammond for his call for a “modest” break from the European Union in a speech made to business chiefs at Davos Switzerland.
Mr Hammond said: “We are taking two completely interconnected and aligned economies with high levels of trade and selectively moving them, hopefully very modestly apart.”
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Duncan Smith said: “You know I just love this kind of interview where you guys speculate on whether a number of letters have got into the 1922 committee chairman and all the rest of it.
“Honestly, it is quite ridiculous, the whole idea that we are somehow going to trigger some leadership election when we have a sitting prime minister who won an election not less than a year ago.
Mr Duncan Smith had some advice for Philip Hammond
“I would have a simple bit of advice to my wider colleagues which is, let’s just get up and back the Prime Minister.
“We’ve got a very clear agenda and that agenda as I have laid out time and again is one which we can unite around.
“What we don’t need is the noises off of people saying ‘oh we could do with a leadership election’, which would destabilise Government for months.
“We don’t need cabinet ministers, Chancellor or otherwise, to give their own views and opinions and nuance the message.
Rees-Mogg: Philip Hammond needs to get back in line
Iif you’ve got nothing to say, that is absolutely on message, the answer is shut up, don’t say it
“It’s very simple if you’ve got nothing to say, that is absolutely on message, the answer is shut up, don’t say it.”
Mr Duncan Smith is not the only Brexiteer unhappy with the Chancellor’s comments.
Brexiteers led by Jacob Rees-Mogg have hit out at the Government’s approach to negotiations after Mr Hammond’s comments.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Rees-Mogg said: “Well I think this is not a good position for the Chancellor to be in, to be undermining the Prime Minister.
“That it is of the utmost urgency that he should unite his position with that of the Prime Minister and with that of the Conservative Party.
“I think a little bit of freelancing in Davos is very unhelpful.”