Dominic Grieve: Tory MP denounced as ‘traitor’ and ‘liar’ at local Conservative Party meeting

Remainer politician says no confidence motion ‘makes no difference’ as he vows to carry on

The pro-Remain Tory MP Dominic Grieve was called a “traitor” and “liar” by members of his local Conservative party, video footage has revealed.

The former attorney general lost a confidence motion at his Beaconsfield constituency association’s annual general meeting by 182 to 131 votes on Friday.

Angry Brexiteers shouted repeatedly “lies” and “rubbish” at Mr Grieve as he attempted to explain the potential economic costs of a no-deal Brexit, a clip obtained by The Sunday Times shows.

One woman can be heard calling the politician “another traitor”.

Despite losing a vote which could trigger a deselection process, Mr Grieve has vowed to continue as MP of Beaconsfield. He said the no confidence motion “makes no difference” and pledged to carry on “exactly as before”.

Mr Grieve has also claimed there was “an orchestrated campaign” against him by Jon Conway – his former UKIP opponent from the 2017 election.

“At the meeting there were a very large number of people who had turned up … around 100 of whom I had certainly never seen or met before in my years as a member of parliament,” he told Sky News.

“And there is clear evidence that there was an orchestrated campaign by my UKIP opponent in 2017, who has since joined the association, with the express intention of trying to come along and defeating the motion.”

The rhetoric heard at the meeting in Buckinghamshire follows a tempestuous gathering outside Parliament yesterday, where many Brexit protesters were heard shouting “treason” and “traitors” in reference to Remain politicians.

Several leading Tory MPs jumped to Mr Grieve’s defence after the no confidence vote result was announced late Friday. More offered their backing throughout Saturday.

Party chairman Brandon Lewis expressed his support and said the vote had no formal standing under party rules.

“Part of the strength of our party is that we are a broad church. Dominic is somebody who has contributed to Parliament, is a clear strong Conservative and he is an asset to the party,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

Pro-Brexit protesters at Parliament Square on 29 March (Reuters)

Boris Johnson called Mr Grieve “a good man and a true Conservative”, while former chancellor George Osborne warned that more local no confidence votes could lead to a wider split in the party.

“The Tory leadership can stop any deselection if it wants - we frequently did,” he said. “CCHQ should suspend the local party. Otherwise we are heading for a huge, historic split in the Tory Party.”

Senior Tory backbencher Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said it was “deeply disappointing”.

He tweeted: “Few in Parliament have contributed as much to public life as Dominic Grieve … He deserves thanks and praise, not this. Our party and country would be poorer.”

Former minister Alistair Burt added: “A quality colleague, brave enough to challenge, but fundamentally a Conservative through and through. Where on earth are we heading with situations like this?”

The chairman of the Beaconsfield Constituency Conservative Association Jackson Ng did not, however, rule out the possibility of deselection.

“He remains our Conservative MP but I will be speaking as soon as possible to my fellow officers and the executive council,” said Mr Ng.

The South Buckinghamshire region, which includes Beaconsfield, narrowly voted for Leave in the 2016 referendum by a majority of just 570 votes.