Oh dear. It seems the whips failed to assuage Charles Walker, vice chair of the influential 1922 Committee of backbench Conservatives. The well-respected Brexiteer told of his frustration over Covid restrictions, as well as his concern over the controversial Internal Market Bill. And Walker certainly didn’t pull his punches. He clearly wanted to send a message when he told the chamber: ‘If you keep whacking a dog, don’t be surprised when it bites you back.’
This shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise to Downing Street. Just a fortnight ago, the normally loyal Walker told the Observer that it was becoming increasingly difficult for MPs to defend the government, warning of ‘eroded morale’ among backbenchers. To get a sense of just how eroded that morale has become, here’s his rather lively statement in full:
I hope I’m not going to foul-tempered tonight.
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