As the arena for what may be Boris Johnson’s leadership war is revealed, his allies have launched an onslaught against disloyal rebels attempting to oust him.
Last night, a Cabinet Minister accused Aaron Bell, an outspoken critic of the Prime Minister, of being a ‘turncoat,’ saying that the little-known MP was only elected to the Commons because of Mr Johnson’s campaigning.
No 10 accused Mr Bell of being a “rebel rouser” who is pressuring colleagues MPs to submit letters of no-confidence despite having “no alternative plan, vision, or leader” when MPs return to the Commons this week after holiday.
They also accused him of violating the rebels’ declared “Jubilee truce” by continuing to call MPs during the bank holiday weekend.
A source said: ‘It’s unseemly – it is meant to be a national celebration where we focus on the Queen.’
Another pro-Boris MP targeted Elliot Colburn, who was elected to the Carshalton and Wallington seat from the Liberal Democrats in 2019 and has since submitted a letter of no confidence, stating Mr Colburn “wouldn’t be an MP if it wasn’t for Boris.” Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a former Tory leader, condemned the vote-striking techniques as “pathetic, juvenile.”
Rebel MPs believe they have above the 54-letter level required to trigger a vote of no-confidence, with others guessing that the number may be as high as 67.
One issue for No 10 is that the’scattergun’ insurrection looks to be unorganized and directed by unknown individuals, making it more difficult to fight.
Mr Bell is playing a vital role as a figure who MPs considering no-confidence letters have contacted for assistance, according to a source close to the rebels.
After questioning Mr Johnson in the Commons over whether he had been a “dumb” for obeying lockdown guidelines at his grandmother’s scaled-back funeral in 2020, the MP said in February that he had sent a letter to the head of the 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady.
The Newcastle-under-Lyme MP’s ties to the gaming sector were exploited by a Cabinet Minister to criticize Mr Bell’s political decision: ‘I am not convinced that for someone so close to the gambling industry that he is making the appropriate bet.’
Mr Bell’s acceptance of freebies from the gaming sector, which were first reported by The Mail on Sunday last year, was also mentioned by Downing Street insiders. Over the last year, the MP, who previously worked for Bet365 and Ladbrokes, has collected thousands of pounds in freebies from the gambling business.
Mr Bell, a vice-chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Betting and Gaming, has spoken out against the ‘danger’ of tighter sector regulation.
Last night, No 10 accused him of being “willing to stake Britain’s future on a Conservative leadership race” as well as “reckless and self-indulgent.”
Mr Bell declined to speak, but his pals disputed that he was involved in the scheme to depose Mr Johnson.
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