Bungling Philip Hammond makes grovelling apology for calling Tory Brexiteers ‘extremists’
The Chancellor was attacked by his party after the slur on Brexit supporters
PHILIP Hammond has issued an unprecedented apology over his Brexit “extremists” slur – and called on the party to come together.
Challenged by The Sun, the Chancellor tonight said his barb was “not intended to cause any offence”.
And he insisted he was committed to “trying to ensure Brexit is delivered”.
It came amid a withering backlash to the Chancellor’s incendiary comment yesterday that the confidence vote in Theresa May would “flush out the extremists”.
The remark incensed Brexiteers – and led some to demand a personal assurance from Theresa May that the attacks “on her own MPs” would stop.
She is believed to have criticised the comments in her make or break confrontation with MPs last night.
Earlier yesterday ex-Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith demanded the Chancellor “moderate your language”.
Mr Hammond said: “My comments yesterday were not intended to cause any offence to the vast majority of colleagues whether originally Remain or Leave supporters, who, like me, are trying to ensure Brexit is delivered, while protecting our jobs and our economy.
“We all need to compromise and come together to find a way forward – because divided countries are not successful countries.”
Amid fears of a deepening civil war in the bitterly split party, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay had earlier admitted Mr Hammond’s remark contained “phraseology I would not have used”.
Eurosceptic Tory Simon Clarke stormed: “The obvious disdain with which the Chancellor views a large number of us is pretty offensive and unsustainable.”
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Allies said Mr Hammond had spoken individually to certain Tories upset over his comment. One said: “The Chancellor wasn’t looking to pick a fight with anyone – just to find a way forward.”
Brexiteers have long viewed the Chancellor as their biggest enemy – accusing him of steering Theresa May towards a ‘soft’ Brexit and dragging his heels on spending money on No Deal preparation.
The Sun earlier this month revealed Mr Hammond was allocating £2billion to government departments to help tool up for a No Deal.
The Sun Says
PHILIP Hammond’s “extremists” jibe at Brexit-supporting Tory backbenchers was reckless and stupid.
If anything is likely to hasten a catastrophic split in the Tories it’s the Chancellor of a minority Government declaring war on scores of his own MPs.
But it also displayed staggering contempt for politicians committed to honouring the referendum and the election manifesto on which they stood.
Politics has been debased by charlatans making promises they dump as soon as it’s convenient. It is in a critical state if NOT doing so is “extreme”.
If there are extremists in Parliament besides the obvious, Corbyn and McDonnell, it is those playing roulette with national stability by attempting to stage a second referendum before the verdict of the first is carried out.
It is incredible that it is considered mainstream, noble even, of these MPs to renege on promises they made and votes they cast — and to refuse to honour the majority’s will because the losing minority must have their “final say”.
All while performing intellectual contortions to justify what, deep down, they know is unjustifiable: imposing their will over the public’s.
That is a far more extreme position than anything on the Tory backbenches.
“Everyone knows who won,” says Benedict Cumberbatch in the trailer for Channel 4’s upcoming Brexit movie.
We do. Some MPs have forgotten.
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