The Londoner: Cameron ex-aide says Theresa May can’t go on

Former No. 10 Director of Strategy says to expect new PM soon/ Dan Snow has Oxford regrets/ Annunziata Rees-Mogg unconvinced by bro biography
Exit stage right: Theresa May in Brussels
Getty Images
30 November 2018

David Cameron’s former director of strategy launched a surprise attack on Theresa May last night, saying that the PM’s position will be “untenable” after an “inevitable” Commons defeat on December 11.

The Londoner was in Fitzrovia yesterday evening for the first “Editorial ThinkIn” by Tortoise, the keenly anticipated slow-news venture by James Harding, former director of BBC News. And who else should there be in the audience than Andrew Cooper, Baron Cooper of Windrush, who served as the No 10’s director of strategy between March 2011 and October 2013? Cooper, who among other things was the architect of Cameron’s gay marriage policies, was picked out of the crowd by Ceri Thomas, former editor of Panorama and the Today programme, and invited to give his assessment of the Brexit landscape. Lord Cooper told the assembled guests that the “arithmetic of support” for the Prime Minister’s deal is “extremely unfavourable”, saying starkly: “If she doesn’t resign she will be no-confidenced.”

Speaking from the audience, the unassuming Tory grandee explained that if the deal is defeated “as I and most people think it will be”, “the policy is going to have to change”. Given May’s “doubling-down” on her position in recent weeks, Cooper added, a defeat would mean “her position under any normal terms would be totally untenable”, “even though we have heard that many times during her short premiership”.

“Your view is that there is a high probability that we’re heading for a new prime minister?” the Tory grandee was asked. “Yes,” came the curt reply.

The insights offered by Lord Cooper could be a taste of things to come from Tortoise: all audience members were equal participants in the discussion, but other attendees interspersed around the room included BBC staffers, civil servants and an expert on refugee resettlement.

Beatboxing Tinie Tempah's festive offering

New friends: Tinie Tempah (Photo: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Rapper Tinie Tempah discovered some new backing dancers yesterday. He was in Covent Garden to kick off a touring installation for Tiffany & Co’s Christmas campaign.

“I’m gassed to be unveiling the beatboxing Tiffany Robot Crew,” he told The Londoner, explaining that he is a surprisingly dedicated fan of the jewellery icon. “You know Christmas is made if you spot that famous box under the tree.”

Also in the festive spirit last night were silver-plated actor Jaime Winstone and tinsel-draped singer Diana Vickers. They were in the front row for the first night of a Thoroughly Modern Revue at Selfridges, a festive cabaret featuring Jonny Woo and Le Gateau Chocolat.

Meanwhile, model Munroe Bergdorf and Moloko singer Roisin Murphy were among the guests at a party thrown by Mac. The cosmetics brand held a party to mark World Aids Day tomorrow. Mac has already raised hundreds of millions of pounds for the cause.

Dan’s Pyrrhic victory

The Londoner has heard a rumour that historian Dan Snow is responsible for a strict spending cap on travel scholarships at his former Oxford college.

The story goes that Snow undertook a “Pathfinder” scheme after finishing his history degree at Balliol College in 2001. He travelled around America and, during one visit, chartered a private helicopter. Snow confirmed the truth to us last night. “It was a particular battlefield that you just had to look at from above,” he justified. “I’m sorry it got out of hand. I felt it needed to be done. I’m sorry I ruined it for everyone else.”

Tail between his legs: historian Dan Snow, arriving with wife Lady Edwina Snow at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May.
Getty Images

A major loss for the BBC. Elizabeth Kilgarriff, senior commissioning editor for BBC Drama, is stepping down from the role to set up a new independent production company. Kilgarriff, who joined the BBC in 2015, commissioned Jed Mercurio’s hit drama Bodyguard, as well as The Cry, Informer, McMafia, the latest series of Luther... the list goes on.

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The BBC has denied paying an actor to play a Leave-voting vicar on Newsnight. But it has paid one real vicar to act: Reverend Richard Coles, formerly of The Communards, will guest-star in an episode of its medical drama Holby City next month. “I’m thrilled to be invited finally to exercise my ministry of healing,” he says.

Poirot clue in text

John Malkovich’s portrayal of Hercule Poirot in The ABC Murders has been causing a stir this week as he has dispensed with the Belgian accent and curly moustache. Sophie Hannah, who writes stories featuring Agatha Christie’s sleuth, thinks purists should calm down. “I don’t think Agatha ever specified that he had a curly moustache,” she told us at last night’s Hatchards Christmas Customer Evening. “He often talks in straightforward English with malapropisms, but previous adaptations have amplified the Belgian accent.”

Ed Balls played auctioneer last night at a fundraiser for Sarcoma UK, held in memory of David Cameron’s former private secretary, Chris Martin. Nick Robinson walked away with a bottle of Taittinger signed by the heads of MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.

SW1A

Lord Ashcroft is writing a biography of Jacob Rees-Mogg, he announced last night. The working title, he says, is Jacob’s Ladder, and he is “seeking co-operation from all who know the subject” for the book that is due out next summer. The news, however, did not go down well with Annunziata Rees-Mogg, Jacob’s sister and a former parliamentary candidate. “I can’t see this being your greatest money-spinner,” she said to Ashcroft. “But I’d probably read it.” Probably.

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MEP Patrick O’Flynn quit Ukip earlier this week and converted to the SDP, thus giving it its only seat in the European Parliament. Now he is renewing something else: his picket against Downing Street. “Last week was great fun,” O’Flynn says, “so come and help if you can.” Last week pictures showed a mass of two — O’Flynn and MEP Suzanne Evans — holding the line at Downing Street. For O’Flynn, three would literally be a crowd.

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