Andrew Bridgen believes Graham Brady is hiding letters of no confidence

Andrew Bridgen poses at his computer. Photograph: Twitter - Credit: Archant

Brexiteer Andrew Bridgen has told a national newspaper he believes the Tories are hiding the number of letters of no confidence.

The outspoken Brexiteer and member of the European Research Group is confident that the numbers required have been reached, however, it is a claim he has been making for some time.

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Bridgen – who put his letter into 1922 committee chairman Graham Brady back in July – claimed at the time on the BBC’s Daily Politics programme he believed the Tories were ‘there or thereabouts’ with the 48 letters required to trigger a vote of no confidence in Theresa May.

On October 22 he told LBC radio that he believed the letters would be reached ‘by the end of the week.’

Now the MP has told the Times newspaper that he believes Graham Brady had all of the letters required… but was hiding it.

He said: ‘I shall be looking at his office expenses to see whether he has brought a deluxe shredding machine with extra blades.’

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His view on the numbers were shared by fellow Brexiteer Steve Baker who has claimed that more than 48 letters had been submitted, before telling the media that he accepted it might have been ‘inaccurate’ but he was ‘close.’

Bridgen was called a ‘disloyal old twerp’ by his own party in the House of Commons for posing an unhelpful question to Theresa May.