Tories turn on Cummings as MP calls for him to be ‘frogmarched out of Downing Street’

Sir Roger Gale said Cummings was “in danger of tearing the party apart” in an interview with ITV news, which came in the wake of the mass deselection of 21 MPs.

The draconian punishment, meted out for rebelling in a key Brexit vote, has been widely interpreted as being on Cummings’ advice and has prompted stinging criticisms across the party.

MORE: Tory MP delivers parting shot at Dominic Cummings as he announces he will step down“I think Mr Johnson’s senior political advisor Dominic Cummings is in danger of tearing the party apart,” Sir Roger said.

“I think to have an unelected, foul-mouthed oaf at the heart of Downing Street is dangerous and unacceptable. And I think the time has come when Mr Johnson has to get a handle on this and have Mr Cummings frogmarched out of Downing Street.”

'To have an unelected, foul-mouth oaf at the heart of Downing Street is dangerous'

Sir Roger Gale says Boris Johnson's top aide Dominic Cummings is 'in danger of tearing the party apart' and should be 'frogmarched out of Downing Street' https://t.co/1OABopt8DC pic.twitter.com/vx1yv4ENbC
— ITV News Politics (@ITVNewsPolitics) September 4, 2019
 

The call for Cummings to be escorted out echoed the uproar that followed events last week when Cummings fired Sajid Javid’s aide Sonia Khan for allegedly leaking information, having her frogmarched out of the building by police.

Senior Tories have called for an inquiry into the sacking, reported the Guardian.

Sir Roger went further to say that if Cummings isn’t removed, the damage to the party will continue.

“It’s got to stop,” said Sir Roger.

The North Thanet MP also said that the rebel MPs had received “quite appalling” treatment from Cummings when they waited to meet with Johnson to discuss the upcoming vote.

Huffington Post News’ editor Paul Waugh tweeted further detail of Cummings’ behaviour ahead of the meeting. “He apparently then told them ‘I don’t know who any of you are!'”

Sir Roger suggested the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs “do something about it”.

He added: “We cannot go on like this.”

In the House of Commons, MP Margot James also laid into the advisor.

She quoted Margaret Thatcher’s famous saying: “Advisors advise, ministers decide.”

“Can I ask the prime minister to bear that statement closely in mind in relation to his own chief advisor, Dominic Cummings,” she practically spat.

She was received with cheers and applause from the house, prompting an admonishment from the speaker.

Boris Johnson appeared unable to defend his advisor and responded with a non-sequitur by directing the assault on Jeremy Corbyn.

“Unlike [Corbyn], we are actually devoted to delivering on the mandate of those Labour constituencies and we are going to take the UK out of the EU on October 31,” he said. “And as for the excellent question that my honourable friend asked, be in no doubt that we are deciding on a policy to take this country forward, not backwards, as [Corbyn] would do.”