Shadow chief whip appeals to members to help rebuild party – and makes ‘House of Cards’ gag
After some brief introductory remarks from the interim party chair, Richard Fuller, the opposition chief whip, Stuart Andrew, takes to the stage.
He starts by talking about the “horrific scenes” of Iran’s attack on Israel last night, and says: “We stand wholeheartedly by Israel’s right to defend itself.
“And as His Majesty’s official opposition, at times like this, we will work constructively and responsibly with the government, because that is the right thing to do in the national interest.”
Turning to the leadership race, he references the TV show House of Cards, and the main character, chief whip Francis Urquhart, who “one by one eliminates each of the candidates until he is the last one standing”.
“Some of you might think it’s just coincidence that the schedule has put me here before the leadership candidates.
“You may very well think that – but I couldn’t possibly comment,” he quips, to laughter and applause.
More seriously, Mr Andrew praises the “excellent” candidates, and asks members for their “help” with getting the party back into government after the election defeat.
He then attacks the Labour government, saying they don’t serve the British people, but “serve themselves”, and attacks them for taking freebies.
“You’d think the son of a toolmaker would do a better job of putting his own wardrobe together,” he jokes in reference to Sir Keir Starmer, and then goes on to attack him for removing the winter fuel allowance from most pensioners.
Going forward, the Tories need to get behind the new leader – whoever that turns out to be – to get back into office, he says.
“It is vitally important that we come together because the country needs a choice, and we must grasp that opportunity,” he concludes.
