Boris Johnson slams ex-Tory minister David Gauke over call to vote Lib Dem as it would put Jeremy Corbyn in No10
AN ex-Tory Cabinet minister who urged voters to back the Lib Dems was slammed by Boris Johnson last night — who said it would put Corbyn in No10.
Expelled Brexit rebel David Gauke had claimed a majority for the PM would be a “bad outcome for the country”. He said Mr Johnson was facing a No Deal EU exit in 12 months because of his refusal to extend the transition period beyond December 2020.
As he launched his campaign to stand as an independent MP, Mr Gauke also called on Brits “to vote for the centre ground”.
“I think if I was living in a lot of constituencies I would lend my vote to the Liberal Democrats,” he said.
But Mr Johnson told the former Justice Secretary, who quit his Cabinet post when BoJo was named PM: “I say respectfully, unless you vote for a working majority Conservative government, you end up with a coalition led by Jeremy Corbyn and years of paralysis in parliament.”
The row came as all the parties scrambled to meet Thursday’s 4pm deadline to register their candidates.
The Sun says
IT is painful to see former statesmen reduced to bitter has-beens driven by childish petulance.
Just weeks ago David Gauke was Justice Secretary voting for Theresa May’s deal.
Now, axed by Boris Johnson, he urges voters to back the Lib-Dems and will himself fight the Conservative candidate in his old seat solely to stop Boris getting a majority vital to secure Brexit.
Gauke must know the only alternative: A Marxist Government taking a blowtorch to our democracy — kept in power by the Liberals and SNP who, whatever they are telling voters now, will demand a price which Corbyn will willingly pay.
Remainer Gauke was driven mad by Boris and Brexit. How did such lightweights ever reach Cabinet level?
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The Tories had to find a fresh candidate for Anglesey in just 24 hours after expenses cheat ex-Tory MP Chris Davies stood down amid public fury.
Mr Gauke announced he will stand as an independent in his constituency of South West Hertfordshire.
He is the third former Tory MP to run as an independent, after Dominic Grieve in Beaconsfield and Anne Milton in Guildford.
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