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Top Tory donor: form unity government to solve Brexit crisis


The Conservative party’s second biggest donor has called for a government of national unity to be formed as soon as possible to solve the Brexit crisis.

John Griffin, the taxi tycoon who has given £4m to the Tories over the last six years, said the party should reach out to MPs from Labour, the Lib Dems and the Scottish National Party if it is to emerge from EU negotiations with a successful deal.

It follows similar demands from fellow Tories including Nicky Morgan and Sir Nicholas Soames. Other Conservative donors have threatened to withhold funds unless it solves the current political crisis, it emerged on Thursday.

Griffin, founder of the cab firm Addison Lee, told the Guardian that Theresa May’s government should use a new team and adopt a different negotiating strategy with the EU. “It would be a wonderful moment if we could say that we are together, as a country. It won’t happen if we continue bickering with the present politicians running the show,” he said.

“It is like the last world war. We have to get together, agree that we are in the middle of a crisis, and show that we are unified. This is not going to be fixed unless we all get together as a government – and I am talking about all parties. We need to get together as soon as possible. Tomorrow would be good.”

Griffin, a Brexiter and long-term supporter of the prime minister, declined to say whether May would have to stand down for such a government to be formed. “Poor old Theresa, she is up against it. Nobody wants this to be an easy ride for us. Let’s just say that her [May’s] position is a difficult one, and there but for the grace of God go all of us,” he said.

The economy, businesses and the housing market are struggling with the current impasse, said Griffin. “It is possible that she [May] will fail. The future is not looking good. Unless we release the constraints that are holding us back, unless people can start selling their houses again, then we as a country are in deep trouble,” he said.

Morgan, the treasury select committee chair, told MPs in December that the Commons should come together to stop a no-deal scenario. “Maybe we need to put together a special select committee of senior members of parliament to hammer out what we mean. Maybe it’s time for some sort of government of national unity,” she said in an emergency debate.

A national unity government was first formed during the Napoleonic Wars in 1806 and last occurred in 1931. During the second world war, an all-party coalition was formed by Winston Churchill.

Soames has previously mooted the idea of a national unity government, telling Channel 4 News: “I must say, if I had my way, we would have a national government to deal with this. It is the most serious problem this country has faced since the war.”

It emerged on Thursday that donations to the Conservatives are drying up as backers unhappy with splits over Brexit refuse to fund the party.

Mick Davis, the party’s chief executive, and Brandon Lewis, the party’s chair, addressed a private meeting of the 1922 committee on Thursday, where MPs were told that the party was struggling to raise £32m, Bloomberg reported.

According to the Electoral Commission website, the Conservative party has received £147m in donations since 2013, excluding public funds. Almost 30% of this (£42.8m) came from 20 individual donors.

The Guardian interviewed three other Tory donors last month who have given more than £500,000 since 2010. All said they were unsure whether to give cash to the party at present. One said the party “appears to be dying on its feet”, while another said he wanted to see who was going to lead it into the next election before committing any cash.

The Conservative party has been approached for a comment.