Anna Soubry was mocked by Tory MP Jonathan Gullis after a social media swipe at the new Tory deputy chairman backfired.
Gullis, who was appointed deputy chairman last night, posted the announcement on X, saying: "Honoured to be asked by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to become Deputy Chairman of the Conservatives. I’m ready to take the fight to Sir Keir’s hopeless and hapless Labour Party."
He added: "By sticking to the plan, we’ll grow the economy, stop the boats and level up across the country."
But quoting Gullis's tweet, Soubry wrote: "This is what desperation looks like".
Anna Soubry has been mocked by Tory MP Jonathan Gullis, after a social media swipe at the new Deputy Chairman backfired
PA
The MP for Stoke on Trent Noth responded by simply posting a picture of MPs who broke away from the Labour and Tory parties in protest at the handling of Brexit, including Soubry herself - suggesting that they themselves are "what desperation looks like".
The picture, tweeted by former Labour MP Chuka Umanna in 2019, showed the ex-Tory and Labour MPs smiling in a Nandos.
The party, which became Change UK, was dissolved ten months after being founded in February 2019 after all its MPs lost their seats at the 2019 general election.
Gullis was appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Tory Party yesterday evening, months after Lee Anderson quit the role.
Anderson quit the post in January over opposition to the Government's Rwanda Bill. He and fellow Deputy Chairman Brendan Clarke-Smith quit their roles to join more than 50 other Tory MPs backing an amendment to toughen up the immigration legislation.
Party chairman Richard Holden said: "Great to announce that the inimitable [Jonathan Gullis] is becoming one of our Conservatives Deputy Chairmen".
https://t.co/rqgqw5kWNa pic.twitter.com/d1gPXwQ9cr
— Jonathan Gullis MP (@GullisJonathan) March 27, 2024
This is what desperation looks like https://t.co/M12qqKAjW3
— Anna Soubry 🖤🤍🇺🇦 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 (@Anna_Soubry) March 26, 2024
He added: "The non-stop campaigning MP for Stoke On Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke is a formidable addition to the team as we build to the General Election later this year".
The announcement came after Rishi Sunak conducted a mini-reshuffle of his Cabinet, following the resignation of two ministers yesterday afternoon.
James Heappey confirmed his resignation as armed forces minister, while Robert Halfon quit as skills, apprenticeships and higher education minister.
Heappey, the Conservative MP for Wells, Somerset, earlier this month announced his intention to quit as an MP and to stand down as a minister before then.
Just one day after he called for 2.5 per cent of GDP to be "urgently" spent on defence, Heappey today warned that "the work isn’t done".
He added: "Ukraine needs our support now as much as ever. Perhaps even more so. Their’s is a fight for the future of Euro-Atlantic security and so we must continue to lead the world in the breadth & bravery of our support."
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The double resignation is yet another blow to Sunak's authority, who is battling to retain the support of his MPs.
He conducted a mini reshuffle yesterday, appointing Nus Ghani MP as the Minister for Europe and Leo Docherty as Armed Forces Minister.
Kevin Hollinrake was appointed a Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade and Luke Hall was appointed as Education Minister.