A friend of Michael Gove and a former Liberal Democrats, he is bidding for the Daily Telegraph and is an investor in GB News, which he hopes to see at the centre of such an election, if it happens.
The A list and its successors haven’t kept a golden generation out of Parliament. Many of those who might have made it up aren’t putting themselves forward for selection in the first place.
Fifty-three Conservatives opposed the tiering plan last December, the largest Covid-related rebellion to date.
But it looks as though some 40 others abstained. That’s a warning shot across the Government’s bows on tax rises.
We continue our series putting this year’s local elections under the magnifying glass to find changes and trends.
Most of the action has been over Covid-related divisions. And most of the dissenters are from older intakes.
The tellers for the Noes were Christopher Chope and Chris Green. The last major Tory rebellion against Government Covid policy was 53 strong.
Ministers could not have handled the matter worse if they’d tried. But Paul Maynard, pictured, is championing a solution.
That’s the biggest Tory revolt so far on a virus-related division, and enough potentially to defeat the Government in future.
These are early shots in the developing Tory backbench campaign against the restrictions, which are set to gain volume and velocity.
They can’t have been satisfied with the compromise reached yesterday over future votes on any changes to the Act’s provisions.
The Brady amendment is part of the developing story of a clash between leaders and backbenchers over Party management, culture and MPs’ status.
Plus: incompetence, resignations, non-resignations, reputations, my holiday, Any Questions and Finkelstein’s book.
Four members from the 2019 intake make the top 50, beating longer-serving and higher-ranked colleagues.