David Gauke faces threat of deselection by PM
David Gauke is one of a number of prominent Conservatives who have been threatened with deselection, according to reports.
The South West Herts MP, who has held his seat since 2005, has clashed publicly with Prime Minister Boris Johnson over Brexit.
And he is now one of a number of MPs who could be unseated by the party’s HQ after the Prime Minister announced he was suspending Parliament in the run-up to Brexit.
Speaking to Radio 4 this week, Mr Gauke said: “It would be very helpful if the government could clarify that they believe in the rule of law.”
In 14 years as an MP, Mr Gauke has voted 2,743 times, and only rebelled against the party line on 21 occasions.
Ironically Mr Johnson has been just as likely to rebel against the party since he was first elected, voting against the Conservative line 12 times in 1,657 divisions.
Mr Gauke has also voted far more frequently, despite the Prime Minister being first elected four years earlier.
Speaking this week, Mr Gauke said: “It’s obviously a particularly confrontational approach, and I think designed to realign the Conservative Party, to transform the Conservative Party very much in the direction of a Brexit party.”
Earlier this year local members of the Conservative Party also looked to unseat Mr Gauke.
However the meeting in June saw the deselection motion defeated, with more than two-thirds of members supporting the MP.
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