Steerpike Steerpike

Johnny Mercer takes another swipe at Rishi

(Getty images)

Oh dear. Rishi Sunak is the subject of criticism from lockdown supporters everywhere this morning over a Telegraph front page detailing the Chancellor’s apparent concerns that scientists are moving the goal posts on when lockdown ought to end. Treasury sources are keen to play down the report – but the aspect that has Mr S’s interest isn’t so much the contents but one MP’s response to the news,

Step forward Johnny Mercer. The defence minister was quick to ‘like’ a tweet by commentator Dan Hodges suggesting Sunak ‘needs to get back in his box and stay focussed on the economics’. While everyone is allowed the occasional accidental like on social media, this appears to fit into a pattern. Only a few months ago, Mercer took to Tory WhatsApp to complain that all the Treasury schemes came with Rishi branding; he wanted a graphic without the Chancellor’s signature.

It appears Rishi-mania is wearing thin on one Tory MP…

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