Yahoo News Boris Johnson just sacked Winston Churchill's grandson from the Conservative Party
Boris Johnson has kicked Winston Churchill’s grandson out of the Conservative Party.
Sir Nicholas Soames defied the instructions of the Prime Minister and voted against a no-deal Brexit along with 20 other Tory MPs.
A Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that all the Conservatives who voted against the Government would have the whip removed.
Other high-profile Tories to have the whip removed include the former Chancellor Philip Hammond and Ken Clarke, who has been a Conservative MP for 49 years.
The spokesperson said: “The Chief Whip is speaking with those Tory MPs who did not vote with the Government this evening. They will have the whip removed.”
Sir Nicholas said his decision to rebel was “a pity” and not taken “lightly”, but he felt “very strongly” about avoiding a no deal.
He added: “The fact is I’m satisfied that (the prime minister) himself wants a deal, but the deal he wants is not available.”
He said he would not stand for Parliament again if a snap general election was held.
A source close to the Tory rebels said: “Tonight’s decisive result is the first step in a process to avert an undemocratic and damaging no deal.
“No 10 have responded by removing the whip from two former chancellors, a former lord chancellor and Winston Churchill’s grandson. What has happened to the Conservative Party?”
The Prime Minister suffered the humiliating defeat over a no-deal Brexit in Parliament on Tuesday evening.
Mr Johnson announced he will seek to trigger a snap general election after the defeat.
The Prime Minister said he would table a motion under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act on Tuesday night.
But Labour indicated that they would not support the move until chances of a no-deal Brexit were taken off the table.
Mr Johnson told the House of Commons after he was defeated in his first vote: “The consequences of this vote tonight means that Parliament is on the brink of wrecking any deal that we might be able to get in Brussels.
“It will hand control of the negotiations to the EU.”
He continued: “I don’t want an election but if MPs vote tomorrow to stop the negotiations and to compel another pointless delay of Brexit, potentially for years, then that will be the only way to resolve this.
“I can confirm that tonight we are tabling a motion under the Fixed-term Parliament Act.”
The other Tory MPs who voted against the Government were:
Guto Bebb
Dominic Grieve
Sam Gyimah
Antoinette Sandbach
Anne Milton
Richard Benyon
Alistair Burt
Rory Stewart
Justine Greening
Caroline Nokes
Philip Hammond
Kenneth Clarke
David Gauke
Margot James
Greg Clark
Edward Vaizey
Richard Harrington
Oliver Letwin
Stephen Hammond
Steve Brine
