Theo Usherwood's Minute-By-Minute Rundown Of Theresa May's Reshuffle Farce

9 January 2018, 07:41

This is the minute-by-minute guide of how Theresa May's reshuffle descended into farce.

It started when Chris Grayling was named as Conservative Party chairman for 37 seconds, before CCHQ deleted the tweet and Brandon Lewis was later given the job.

Meanwhile, two Ministers refused to leave their posts, while another resigned instead of taking another Cabinet role.

LBC's Political Editor Theo Usherwood runs through the Prime Minister's bad day.

Theo Usherwood rounded-up the reshuffle farce
Theo Usherwood rounded-up the reshuffle farce. Picture: LBC / PA

Speaking to Nick Ferrari, he said: "The farce started at 11:04am when Chris Grayling was tipped on Twitter to be the new Party Chairman of the Conservatives. The BBC then confirmed it at 11:40am, saying that Mr Grayling had been appointed.

"At 11:43am, a CCHQ staffer sees the BBC's report and assumes it's correct and then tweets it out from the Conservatives account. That man was apparently Ian Carter, who also sent the Grayling graphic round to Tory MPs on their WhatsApp group and MPs tweeted it out.

"At 11:43 and 27 seconds, the Conservatives tweet was deleted.

"At 11:47, I spoke to Number 10 and they told me 'Just hold your horses a moment because no appointment has been made'.

"And at 11:48, MPs delete their tweets and then at 11:57, Brandon Lewis arrives at Number 10 to be appointed Party Chairman."

More Nick Ferrari

See more More Nick Ferrari

Rishi Sunak’s job is under threat from a plot of backbench Tory MPs who want to replace him with Penny Mordaunt before the general election.

Tories 'need to stop messing around and get behind the Prime Minister,' Business Secretary tells LBC

Exclusive
'This is trivia': Kemi Badenoch hits out at continued furore over Tory donor 'racism' row

'This is trivia': Kemi Badenoch hits out at continued furore over Tory donor 'racism' row

Government suspends tariffs on key imports to boost SMEs launching £660 million northern powerhouse fund

Government suspends tariffs on key imports to boost SMEs launching £660 million northern powerhouse fund

'Floating voters' unconvinced by Jeremy Hunt's Budget

LBC's 'Floating Voters' left unconvinced by Jeremy Hunt's Budget

Leila Khaled, who hijacked planes, will appear via video link at a fundraiser hosted by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Andy Street wants police to look at the event

'I'm not comfortable with it': West Mids Mayor to speak to police amid fury over Palestinian hijacker’s fundraiser

Andy Street taking calls from the public on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast

Tory MP's claim that Birmingham has 'no-go areas' was 'ridiculous', West Midlands Mayor tells LBC

Minister quizzed on tweet where he described Trump as 'cancer'

Minister Bim Afolami says tweet in which he referred to Donald Trump as 'a cancer' is appropriate

Lee Anderson

Police 'looking into hate speech complaint against Lee Anderson' after MP said Sadiq Khan was controlled by Islamists

Richard Tice said he turned down two Tories who tried to join the party

Reform UK leader Richard Tice says he rejected two Tory MPs who tried to defect in the last year

Michael Tomlinson repeatedly refused to answer Nick Ferrari's question

Nick Ferrari cuts off minister who refuses to answer his questions nine times over Lee Anderson's 'Islamophobic remarks'

Rishi Sunak is facing a revolt for sacking Lee Anderson

Lee Anderson refuses to apologise for 'Islamist' comments as he doubles down on criticism of Sadiq Khan

Rishi Sunak is facing a revolt for sacking Lee Anderson

PM denies Tories have 'Islamophobic tendencies' as minister says Lee Anderson's comments were 'profoundly wrong'

Dame Esther Rantzen has told LBC why she is campaigning to change the law on assisted dying

‘Dogs get treated better than humans’, Esther Rantzen says, as TV legend demands assisted dying law change

Rishi Sunak (l) puts on a brave face to the Tories by-election defeats on a visit to Harlow. New Kingswood MP Damien Egan (top r) and Wellingborough MP Gem Kitchen (bottom r)

Rishi Sunak begs frustrated Tories 'not to put Starmer in power' after party suffers double by-election disaster

New Labour MPs Damien Egan and Gen Kitchen

'They are not very good results': Tory chairman admits after double by-election drubbings as MPs call for tax cuts

The peer was speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast

'It was known yesterday' Azhar Ali had made more Israel conspiracy theory comments, peer tells LBC