Tory Brexiteer on Live Radio to Remain Chancellor Hammond: 'Up Yours!'

Tory Brexiteer and Vice-Chairman of the pro-Brexit European Research Group Mark Francois has told the Chancellor ‘up yours’ in an interview on Radio 4 as he accused Hammond of leading a group of cabinet MP’s to try and stop Brexit.

The Rayleigh and Wickford MP Francois said of Brexit developments Monday night on BBC Radio 4: “What happened this evening was an attempted coup in the House of Commons by MPs against the people was defeated.”

He went on to say on live national radio “A number of members of the Cabinet led by Philip Hammond, utterly in cahoots with backbenchers across the house, attempted to stop us leaving the European Union.

“If you’re listening Mr Hammond, my fraternal message to you is: ‘Up yours’.”

The comments follow the second day of so-called ‘indicative (non-binding) votes‘ in parliament in which every Brexit proposal put forward was rejected by the commons. Chancellor Hammond has been reported in the British press as leading a faction within the government pushing for a second Brexit referendum, a move thought of by some as intended to prevent Brexit going ahead at all.

Conservative MP and remain-supporter Margot James rebuked Francois for his comments, taking to Twitter and saying “so awful to hear the vindictive and insulting language used by Mark Francois about the Chancellor who is doing a good job in government”.

This is not the first time Mark Francois has been openly critical of government ministers on Brexit. On Monday he told talkRadio that “up themselves” politicians, including those in his own party, were plotting to try and disrupt or cancel Brexit. He singled out Oliver Letwin and Dominic Grieve, saying of them “It’s a coup against the British people. The bottom line is to try and destroy Brexit. These men are utterly determined and know exactly what they’re doing.”

Francois isn’t the only MP to have been outspoken about Brexit failings, with leave supporter and Conservative MP Henry Smith writing with evident frustration “Enough of this bullshit, the British people by the largest majority in UK poll history voted to leave the EU – just do it and move in to a better future…”

Despite the fact that 80% of MP’s ran on manifestos pledging to leave the EU, the house has failed to agree on any way forward so far. They have, though, rejected the possibility of a World Trade Organisation (no deal) Brexit, despite a recent poll showing that 57 per cent of the public now supports voting to leave on WTO terms.

Following the failure of all the indicative votes in Parliament, it is possible that Mrs May’s withdrawal agreement will be brought back to the commons for a fourth time this week.