Tory infighting breaks out after former minister calls on Sunak to go with Labour saying it’s ‘like an episode of The Traitors’

Published

1 year ago

January 24, 2024

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Senior Tories have lashed out at a “reckless and selfish” former minister after he called on Rishi Sunak to step down to avoid being “massacred” at the election.

Former ministers urged colleagues to put their duty to the country ahead of “tribalism” following a challenge to the prime minister launched by Sir Simon Clarke.

While Sir Simon appears to be a lone voice at the moment, the infighting has been likened to an episode of BBC’s hit psychological reality show The Traitors – in which traitors must be rooted out and “banished” by faithfuls.

Politics Live: Tory infighting breaks out after Rishi Sunak faces call to quit

Writing in The Telegraph, the former levelling up secretary insisted “extinction is a very real possibility” for the party if Mr Sunak leads it into the election this year.

However former defence minister Tobias Ellwood told Sky News: “It’s not only dangerous, reckless, selfish, it’s also defeatist because what the electorate want to see, they want to see leadership, they want to see a good manifesto within it, but they also want to see unity.

“That is what will win a general election. And to do this months away from the next general election is absolutely shocking.”

Mr Ellwood was the latest senior figure to join the pile on, with many Conservatives coming out last night and this morning to criticise their colleague.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said it would be “foolish” to have further dissent within the party, arguing that it would leave the door open to Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer.

Former Brexit secretary Sir David Davis said: “The party and the country are sick and tired of MPs putting their own leadership ambitions ahead of the UK’s best interests.”

Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel said: “Engaging in facile and divisive self indulgence only serves our opponents, it’s time to unite and get on with the job.”

Former prime minister Liz Truss, who gave Sir Simon a cabinet position after he backed her leadership bid, also does not back his intervention, it is understood.

However a Tory source told our political editor Beth Rigby that Sir Simon is only saying “what everyone knows but won’t say out loud” and “scores of MPs privately agree”.

And a senior MP on the right of the party has also said that two by-elections next month could be a “watershed moment”, adding: “If we get slaughtered, the herd might well panic.”

Sir Keir Starmer seized on the divisions during PMQS, saying the Tories were “fighting each other to death” and calling it “the longest episode of Eastenders ever put to film”.

Lucy Powell, the shadow leader of the House of Commons, earlier compared the row to “an episode of The Traitors”, telling Sky News: “I can’t keep up with who’s a ‘traitor’ and who’s a ‘faithful’ and who is going to be ‘banished’ and who isn’t.”

Sir Simon’s intervention comes amid a number of struggles for the prime minister, including falling approval ratings and unhappiness within his party over the stalled Rwanda deportation plan for asylum seekers.

Last week he was one of 11 Conservative MPs to vote against Mr Sunak’s bill to revive the scheme. Dame Andrea Jenkyns, one of the other rebels, has previously called for the prime minister to go and told Sky News on Monday she stood by that view.

Meanwhile, a Tory rebel source said that “several” letters of no confidence in Mr Sunak had now been submitted. A minimum of 53 would need to be sent in to trigger a leadership contest.

But former deputy chairman Lee Anderson, who resigned in protest over the Rwanda bill last week, played down reports Mr Sunak could be replaced before the next election.

Postal minister Kevin Hollingrake also denied there was a “plot” to oust him, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the party is united “in many aspects”.

Politics

Woman whose son Martyn Hett died in Manchester Arena terror attack welcomes new law in his name

Published

2 hours ago

April 3, 2025

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Woman whose son Martyn Hett died in Manchester Arena terror attack welcomes new law in his name

There is a certain steel about a mother who has lost a child.

It’s hard to put your finger on, but perhaps after going through hell you re-emerge made of a different material to the rest of us.

Figen Murray has been utterly relentless after her son Martyn Hett was killed in the Manchester Arena terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.

When she worried that politicians’ support was wavering last year, she walked 200 miles from the place Martyn died to Downing Street – and needed a hip replacement after.

And on Thursday, Martyn’s Law – rules to better train staff and safeguard venues against terrorists – was passed by royal assent, finally becoming law.

I sat down with Figen just before she went into Number 10 Downing Street to meet the prime minister, and she told me after six years of campaigning, the moment “feels surreal”.

She continued: “The Manchester attack was a wake up call. But it also made question, who are these people who do these things? Why are they doing it? What are governments doing about it? And I realised the only way I could get the answers was to educate myself – so I did a masters in counter-terrorism.

“I’ve recognised that people were radicalised. When you were a newborn baby, you were innocent but somebody poisoned your mind.

“There are people who try to groom young people into their ideology, and I want them to recognise where these people operate, the tricks they use, the things they say and how they can recognise themselves or others in the process of being radicalised and how to get out.”

She also supports the initiative to show the Netflix drama Adolescence in schools: “I think it’s absolutely important that young people see that programme and they learn more about it. It’s a good thing and I’m hoping they’re taking it further.”

There will be a debate – certainly – about the financial impact the legislation will have on venues, but the legislation has been welcomed by safety campaigners.

Emma Kay, co-founder of personal safety app WalkSafe which geo-fences events and stadiums, said: “The passing of Martyn’s Law is hugely progressive move that will keep young people safe on nights out.

“Our research has shown that 63% of women prefer to visit venues with safety initiatives in place. People want safer experiences and to know their friends and loved ones arrive home safely.”

When I sat down with Figen, I asked her how Martyn would feel today.

“Knowing Martyn, the party animal he was, he’d throw the biggest party ever,” she said.

“He was full of life and lived life not just at 100 miles an hour, but 200 miles an hour.

“You would definitely know when he came through the door, and he had an incredible ability to make everyone feel that they are the most important person in that moment in his life. And I really miss that.”

You can watch Sophy Ridge’s full interview with Figen Murray on the Politics Hub at 1900 on Sky News.

Politics

Trump’s pick for SEC chair makes it out of committee

Published

4 hours ago

April 3, 2025

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Trump’s pick for SEC chair makes it out of committee

Lawmakers in the US Senate Banking Committee voted to advance the nomination of Paul Atkins to be a member of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), paving the way for a full floor vote in the chamber.

In an April 3 executive session of the banking committee, lawmakers voted 13-11 for Atkins to serve two consecutive terms as an SEC commissioner, taking over former Chair Gary Gensler’s term and another term ending in 2031.

Atkins’ nomination will soon go to the Republican-controlled Senate for a full floor vote, where many experts suggest he is likely to be confirmed.

Politics, Senate, SEC, Bitcoin Regulation, Donald Trump — *Senator Tim Scott addressing lawmakers on April 3. Source:* *US Senate Banking Committee*

Before calling for a vote, committee chair Tim Scott said Atkins would bring “much-needed clarity for digital assets.” Ranking member Elizabeth Warren reiterated earlier concerns about Trump’s SEC pick helping “billionaire scammers” like former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and Tesla CEO Elon Musk “actively trying to destroy” federal agencies.

This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.

Politics

US sanctions 8 crypto wallets tied to Garantex, Houthis

Published

6 hours ago

April 3, 2025

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US sanctions 8 crypto wallets tied to Garantex, Houthis

The US Treasury Department sanctioned eight cryptocurrency wallet addresses linked to Russian crypto exchange Garantex and the Houthis.

The United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned eight crypto addresses that data from blockchain forensic firms Chainalysis and TRM Labs had linked to the organizations. Two are deposit addresses at major crypto platforms, while the other six are privately controlled.

Russia, Terrorism, Sanctions, Money Laundering — *Visualization of transaction flow related to OFAC sanctions. Source:* *Chainalysis*

The addresses in question reportedly moved nearly $1 billion worth of funds linked to sanctioned entities. Most of the transactions funded Houthi operations in Yemen and the Red Sea region.

Slava Demchuk, a crypto-focused money laundering specialist and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime consultant told Cointelegraph that “the inclusion of Houthi-linked wallets reflects a broader recognition of crypto’s role in geopolitical conflicts and terrorism financing.” He added:

“The implications are far-reaching — compliance frameworks must adapt swiftly, attribution efforts will intensify, and decentralized platforms may face increased scrutiny.“

Demchuk highlighted that the situation reshapes the regulatory landscape. According to him, crypto “is now firmly within the scope of international security.

Who are the Houthis?

The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, are a Yemeni political and armed movement that emerged from the Zaidi Shia community. Originating as a revivalist and reformist group, they later became a major force in Yemen’s ongoing conflict.

In recent years, the Houthis have engaged in attacks against both military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea with missiles and drones. In January, US President Donald Trump designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization.

The announcement noted that “the Houthis’ activities threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of our closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade.” The group was recently struck by a US bombing campaign.

Garantex: Russia’s crypto laundromat

Garantex is a Russian crypto exchange that was sanctioned and shut down in early March after purportedly helping money-laundering efforts. At the time, Tether — the leading stablecoin operator and issuer of USDt — froze $27 million in USDt on the platform, forcing it to halt operations.

The platform has reportedly shifted millions of dollars as it sought to reboot under its new brand, “Grinex.”

In mid-March, officials with India’s Central Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest of Lithuanian national Aleksej Bešciokov, who was alleged to have operated the cryptocurrency exchange Garantex.

The arrest of the alleged Garantex founder was based on US charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again