Theresa May forced to step in to stop blazing row between Cabinet Ministers over defence funding
Tensions between Chancellor Philip Hammond and new Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson boiled over in a heated Commons row
THERESA May stepped in to stop a blazing row between two top Cabinet Ministers, it emerged last night.
Tensions between Chancellor Philip Hammond and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson over defence funding boiled over in a heated Commons row on Wednesday night.
The PM was then forced to step in and break up the ‘toe to toe’ row.
A source said: “She made it clear the two of them should grow up and calm down.
“After slugging it out toe to toe, they trudged off like naughty schoolboys.”
One Tory MP said: “The PM could see it was all getting out of hand and broke it up.”
Earlier this week, the Defence Secretary was said to be angry because allies of the Chancellor likened him to the Dad’s Army character Private Pike.
In retaliation, Mr Hammond was banned from using military aircraft on the grounds that Treasury chiefs had failed to pay their six-figure travel costs.
The Chancellor told a Commons committee the next day that Williamson had yet to “get his head around” his department’s budget.
The pair are due to have talks over a £2billion-a-year hole in the defence budget.
One Tory MP claimed that Williamson, 41, targeted the Chancellor's throat in the Commons row.
Williamson reportedly claimed Hammond had publicly insulted him over the running of his department - which the Chancellor denied.
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The MP said: "Gavin went for Philip’s throat. All the pent-up anger came spilling out. Hammond looked taken aback, but then gave as good as he got."
Insiders at the Treasury believe Mr Williamson is "on manoeuvres" to launch a leadership bid when the PM leaves Downing Street.
He was only appointed to the Ministry of Defence role last month after Michael Fallon was forced to stand down during the sexual harassment scandal.