On the day that Liz Truss apologised for 'making mistakes' during a combative performance at Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) followed by Suella Braverman resigning as her Home Secretary, the Manchester Evening News asked every Tory MP in Greater Manchester for their views on Ms Truss' performance. Not one replied.
Greater Manchester has eight Conservative MPs, representing residents in Stockport, Bolton, Bury, Trafford, Leigh and parts of Rochdale. The M.E.N. approached each one for comment on Wednesday afternoon (October 19).
Although he did not reply, one MP who made his thoughts public was Hazel Grove MP William Wragg. He told Commons that he had 'lodged' a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister prior to a banned vote on fracking.
READ MORE : Chaos in the Commons after Government wins fracking vote amid claims of bullying
He said: "What occurred with that financial statement, I am personally ashamed because I cannot go and face my constituents, look them in the eye and say that they should support our great party and the polls would seem to bear that out.
" The next debate is apparently a confidence issue, well I'm not going to fall into that trap. I oppose fracking, I thought that we'd come to a considered position on it but there we go.
“I would no longer be vice-chair of the 1922 Committee. I would no longer maintain a position as a chair of one of the select committees of the House. And indeed, because of that, my letter lodged with my honourable friend, the member for Altrincham and Sale West, would fall, and I wish to maintain that letter with my honourable friend.”
The 'member for Altrincham and Sale West' that Mr Wragg made reference to is Sir Graham Brady MP - who chairs the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs. He did not respond to the M.E.N's request for comment either.
Leigh MP James Grundy used PMQs to ask Ms Truss a question about the Leigh Centurions rugby league team, before asking about a Downing Street reception for the Lionesses. He did not come back to the M.E.N with his thoughts about Ms Truss this afternoon.
Mark Logan, who represents Bolton North East, is currently recovering in hospital after crashing his bicycle into a kerb and fracturing his hip. He has been active on social media in recent days to update constituents about the incident did not reply about this, nor did Chris Green, who represents Bolton West. There was also silence from James Daly (Bury North), Mary Robinson (Cheadle), and Chris Clarkson (Heywood and Middleton).
NB: All MPs were contacted by the M.E.N between 1.30pm and 2pm this afternoon and given a deadline of 6pm to respond. They were told that the story would run with or without a comment from them.
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