Tory MP says Brexit has to be delivered by October 31… to save his job

Ben Bradley was quoting a video from Jeremy Hunt on Twitter, when he included the message: “To help me win in my marginal seat, you need to commit to leaving the EU on October 31st come what may. Anything else is guaranteed to put me out of a job.”

It was widely seen as a sign that the MP only cared about saving his job in the marginal seat of Mansfield – which he won with just a 1,057 majority in 2017.

Anna Soubry, the former Tory MP and now a Change UK MP said: “Shame you put your own job before the jobs of your constituents Ben. Your own government’s impact assessments show that any form of Brexit will harm our economic future and especially no deal. All MPs have a duty to put their constituents and country before ideology and party loyalty.”

Professor Brian Cox said: “The distorted perspective of the professional party politician. Reminds me of that old joke about a headline in The Parrot Times. ‘Titanic Sinks! No Parrots Injured’.”

The Remaniacs Podcast wrote: “‘In order to save my job in Westminster, you need to commit to thousands of people throughout the country losing theirs.’ Lovely logic, Ben.”

Journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy tweeted: “This is at least honest. Not many Tory MPs are as blunt about the biggest issue in their decision.”

Peter Timmins tweeted: “This MP wants Brexit just to keep his wages coming in. It’s nothing to do with whether it’s the right thing for the country. It’s all about him.”

SNP Peter Grant said: “Tory MPs no longer even pretending. Brexit is about saving their jobs and to hell with everybody else.”

Edwin Hayward wrote: “This isn’t parody, this really is an MP spelling out clearly that he’s putting his own narrow political interests ahead of any other consideration (like what’s best for the UK, or his constituents, for instance). Career first, everything else can go hang. Refreshingly honest.”

TNE columnist Mitch Benn said: “Thanks for the tip.”

Bradley resigned as a Conservative Party vice-chair for young people last year in protest at Theresa May’s deal… which attempted to deliver Brexit.

In January 2018 the MP said that unemployed people should have a vasectomy to avoid having children – something we suspect the MP might disagree with himself if he loses his job.