Grant Shapps made quite the blunder last weekend, after the Welwyn Hatfield MP said he voted for Brexit despite previously claiming he voted to remain.
The energy secretary appeared on Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, where he admitted: "I happened to vote for Brexit as it happens, but I actually do think it’s working in favour for this country."
But, Twitter users were quick to point out that before the Brexit vote in 2016, Mr Shapps told Sky News he would be voting remain.
"In the end I have come to the conclusion that because of concerns about the uncertainty of leaving, what it would mean for business, I will vote for remain," he said.
Left 2023, "I actually happened to vote for Brexit."
— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) June 11, 2023
Right 2016, "I will vote for Remain." pic.twitter.com/0XUAFClLUW
Just six months later, in a piece for Brexit Central, he would again reaffirm his remain status, writing: "At the back of my mind as I voted to remain on June 23, was the thought that divorce can be one of the most stressful things in life."
And again in 2018, he would tweet: "I'm a Brexit moderate who voted remain."
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I'm a #Brexit moderate who voted #Remain, but since we're going to #Leave we must make it work for us. I can't therefore see that either parliament or I would vote for Britain to be locked into a permanent open-ended customs union arrangement! https://t.co/8vY3g4SOH0
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) October 12, 2018
Grant Shapps MP pointed out it was a "slip of the tongue" when he mentioned voting for Brexit during the interview with Sophie Ridge.
Speaking to the Welwyn Hatfield Times after the programme, he said: "The entire point I was making was that although I didn't vote for Brexit there are freedoms that we're now benefiting from, like being able to legislate more quickly in a changing world to gain competitive advantage, without waiting for 27 other countries to agree."
The Welwyn Hatfield MP wasn't done there though, as he forced the BBC to issue a correction over his claims that Gordon Brown created 50 new peers when he resigned as prime minister in 2010.
Despite Brown creating no such list, Mr Shapps said on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: "I think Gordon Brown in his resigntion list appointed 50 new peers - 50 new people to the House of Lords. We’ve seen a very small number from this current list."
Those comments came in the wake of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigning as an MP on Friday night as the investigation in Partygate continues.
Grant Shapps and former PM Boris Johnson. (Image: PA Images/PA Wire)
That has led to a row between Mr Johnson and Conservative party members, after the House of Lords Appointments Commission confirmed it rejected eight of his resignation honours nominations.
On this, Mr Shapps told the WHT: "Again Labour are dancing on a pinhead by trying to draw a distinction between two types of lists, which both end up appointing people to the House of Lords. This simply does not change the facts of my point.
"Gordon Brown appointed 56 new peers (29 of them were Labour). He did this having served just two years 318 days in office.
"Johnson ended up appointing just seven Conservative Peers after three years 44 days in office. And even if all his nominations had been accepted by the House of Lords Appointments Commission, it would have been far fewer than with Brown. My point therefore entirely stands."
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As the arguments raged, Mr Shapps appeared on Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday, where he was described as "number 10's human fire blanket".
Are you Number 10's human fire blanket? 🔥👀 @SophyRidgeSky jokes about Energy Secretary @GrantShapps' timely appearances on #Ridge shows following big events in the Tory party.https://t.co/ZoMhCmTrtv
— Sophy Ridge on Sunday & The Take (@RidgeOnSunday) June 11, 2023
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/z3HNSc0Ab5
He did little to put out the blaze, making headlines for saying "the world has moved on" from Mr Johnson following a reign as PM filled with scandal.
"The world has moved on - he is the one who has removed himself from the current political scene, standing down as a member of parliament," he said.
"And we’ve got excellent leadership in place in number 10 with Rishi Sunak.
Mr Shapps with PM Rishi Sunak. (Image: PA Images/PA Wire)
"Only Boris Johnson himself made the decision, as he has done, to stand down from parliament. No one has asked him to do that. These things are Boris Johnson’s decision to do.
"I think actually if you look at the priorities of this country, getting on with the job after Covid and the war in Ukraine and very high inflation, those are the things that people really are concerned about."
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