Senior Tories yesterday protested the removal of Theresa May’s special advisers from the candidates’ list, Coffee House understands.
There had been talk of mounting a ‘rescue mission’ to reinstate Nick Timothy and Stephen Parkinson after they were struck off the list before Christmas, but at a board meeting of the Conservative party yesterday, MPs representing the 1922 Committee expressed their discomfort at the way the pair had been treated.
Many in the party feel it was a vindictive swipe at Timothy and Parkinson, who do not enjoy good relations with Number 10. They had hoped that the board, which is the ultimate decision-making authority in the party, might overturn the decision and force the party to re-adopt the candidates, but in the end it was simply raised as a subject for discussion, with members agreeing that the code of conduct for special advisers must be revised so there is no conflict between the demands placed on candidates and the behaviour expected of special advisers.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate, free for a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first month free.
UNLOCK ACCESS Try a month freeAlready a subscriber? Log in