An awful Tory has attacked May’s premiership, and people don’t know how to feel

Philip Davies and Theresa May
Wilson Belshaw


A notorious Tory has become the third MP to publicly admit submitting a letter of no confidence in Theresa May. And while many people would love to see May toppled, the actions of this MP have given some people pause for thought. Although admittedly, it hasn’t been that much of a pause.

The ‘filibuster’ MP

Philip Davies has an inglorious record as a politician. He’s particularly well known for ‘filibustering’ proposed bills. This involves talking for so long the allotted time runs out, and a bill cannot be discussed in parliament. This can actually put an end to a bill and stop it becoming law.

Davies has done this many times. He has filibustered and blocked:

  • Free hospital parking for carers.
  • Ensuring that homes are fit for human habitation – something he opposed as a landlord himself.
  • Teaching first aid to school children.
  • Banning the use of wild animals in circuses.

The practices he uses are clearly undemocratic, and have no place in a modern democracy. If May ever attempted to stop him from bringing disgrace upon parliament and the Conservative Party, there’s little evidence of that in his behaviour. As recently as June 2018, Davies blocked the prevention of ‘excessive force’ being used against mental health patients.

This unruly MP is now trying to stop the PM’s career.

The enemy of my enemy?

Some people were confused about how to feel:

Others were of the opinion that even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Although Davies is more like an ancient calendar that’s right once a millennia:

Some people questioned the man’s historically dubious motives:

Others made remarkably similar comparisons:

And others took the opportunity to simply have a deserved pop at the man:

No confidence

Davies is actually one of four Tories to publicly admit sending a no confidence letter. The count currently stands at three, though, as Simon Clarke withdrew his on 18 July.

It’s unknown how many MPs have submitted letters overall, but some reports claim around 40. There need to be 48 in total. But even if it doesn’t reach that number, it’s clear that the Tories are not fully confident in their leader. Although some say this isn’t the worst news for her:

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Featured image via Chris McAndrew – Wikimedia / EU2017EE Estonian President – Flickr

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