Lord Heseltine Has Tory Whip Removed Over Lib Dem Support

20 May 2019, 20:13 | Updated: 20 May 2019, 20:37

Lord Heseltine has had the Tory whip removed.
Lord Heseltine has had the Tory whip removed. Picture: PA

Former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine has had the Tory whip suspended for saying he would vote Lib Dem at the EU elections.

The pro-European Lord wrote in a newspaper article yesterday saying he couldn't support the Tories with a "clear conscience".

A spokesman for the Tories said: "Lord Heseltine has given more than half a century of service to the Conservative Party, and his longstanding and sincerely held views on Europe are well understood.

"But, with his long experience, he will know that publicly endorsing the candidates of another party is not compatible with taking the Conservative whip in Parliament.

"As a result, the Chief Whip in the House of Lords has informed Lord Heseltine that he will have the Conservative whip suspended. This will be reviewed if he is willing to support Conservative candidates at future elections."

In an article for The Sunday Times, the former adviser to David Cameron said: "The reason for my experiment with the Lib Dems is, of course, the Government’s position on Brexit.

"I cannot, with a clear conscience, vote for my party when it is myopically focused on forcing through the biggest act of economic self-harm ever undertaken by a democratic government."

His call for the Tories to move back to the political centre ground was supported by former PM Sir John Major.

Speaking to Sky News the long serving peer said if he did lose the whip "the sun will come up tomorrow morning and I will have reserved my personal integrity."

Two years ago he was sacked from five advisory roles after voting against the government on Brexit.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

A young caucasian man in pajamas in bed about to take some blue pills from a brown bottle

Urgent warning after two die in London taking ‘blue pills’

Doctor working with medical imaging and technology to provide accurate diagnosis.

New study reveals the childhood cancers which take the longest to diagnose

A Jewish boy has been hospitalised after a ‘racially motivated attack’ in Hampstead, a charity has said.

Jewish boy hospitalised after ‘racially motivated attack’ in Hampstead, north London

Palestinians carry boxes containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Hamas tells Gazans facing food shortages to stay away from US-linked aid deliveries

The Harvard University logo is displayed on a building at the school, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass.

Germany offers ‘exile campus’ to Harvard students after foreigner ban

Water St the morning after the tragic events just after the LFC trophy parade when a car was driven into the crowd injuring at least 50 people

Liverpool crash victim ‘pleaded with driver to stop’ before car mowed him down as motorist arrested for attempted murder

One in ten women say they have been spat on while running, a new study reveals.

'Hurtful and traumatising': Rise in men 'spitting' on women runners in disturbing new form of street harassment

Gayanne Potter told LBC she feels "absolutely sick".

Leading voiceover artist ‘violated’ by ScotRail AI announcements using her voice without 'permission'

The popular club's licence has been suspended following allegations that a woman was raped by a security guard in the vicinity of the venue

Heaven security guard accused of raping teenager was 'not permitted to work in UK' and 'used false ID to get job'

RFK Jr said that Covid-19 shots would be removed from the recommendations for certain groups.

Robert F Kennedy Jr drops Covid vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women - slamming lack of 'clinical data'

Rebecca Turner, 36, was found dead in Bangkok with her partner, Sam Melnick, in 2024.

Mother of British woman found dead in Bangkok hotel after 'unwitting hit of drugs' alleges Thai police ‘cover-up’

Arabella Stanton, Dominic McLaughlin and Alastair Stout will star as Hermione, Harry and Ron in the new Harry Potter TV series.

Harry Potter and the new cast revealed: First pic of child stars ahead of TV series

Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk (posing with former footballer Alan Hansen and the Premier League trophy) sent a message of support to victims of the crash

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk ‘praying for speedy recovery’ for those hurt in parade crash

(Clockwise from top left) Indigo Rumbelow, Leanorah Ward, Daniel Knorr and Margaret Reid

Four Just Stop Oil activists jailed over plot to disrupt Manchester Airport

The runaway couple went off-grid in early 2023 in an alleged attempt to stop their newborn baby being removed from their care.

Runaway aristocrat Constance Marten’s partner 'attacked' officers on post-natal ward while trying to 'escape'

Footage shows the driver reverse into a fan, which leads two spectators to punch and kick the car whilst it moves back and forth

Driver ‘followed ambulance through roadblock’ before Liverpool crash as man, 53, arrested on suspicion of ‘drug driving’