William Hague says Boris Johnson committed a ‘disgusting act of hypocrisy’ in removing Tory whip from 21 MPs The former Tory leader laid into the present Prime Minister over his handling of the party

Purging Brexit rebels from the Tory party is a “disgusting act of hypocrisy” by Boris Johnson, William Hague has claimed in a furious attack.

The former Conservative leader hit out at the Prime Minister for forcing out 21 MPs who backed the law designed to block a no-deal Brexit, including ex-senior ministers.

He described the decision as “the most egregious and counterproductive act of self-harm committed by the party leadership that I can recall in my lifetime”.

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And he predicted that the drastic move last week will alienate voters and leave the party further divided rather than uniting it around Mr Johnson’s Brexit plans.

‘Deliberately blowing your foot off’

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Lord Hague said: “People like this have spent many years of their lives winning marginal seats for the Tories and broadening the party’s appeal.

“It is not possible to be aware of their record and characters without thinking that their expulsion from the parliamentary ranks of the Conservative Party, partly at the behest of people who have spent years rebelling, is a disgusting act of hypocrisy.”

He concluded: “It is like showing strength before an important race by deliberately blowing your foot off.”

Tory turmoil

The decision has caused widespread upset within the Conservative Party.

Amber Rudd, a close friend of the Prime Minister, cited the decision when she handed in her resignation as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions late on Saturday.

She resigned the Conservative whip in solidarity with her 21 colleagues.

In her letter she wrote: “This short-sighted culling of my colleagues has stripped the party of broad-minded and dedicated Conservative MPs. I cannot support this act of political vandalism.

“Therefore, it is with regret that I am also surrendering the Conservative whip.”

More than 100 Tory MPs also signed a letter saying that removing the whip from the MPs was not the way to deal with the current Brexit challenges.