Tory MP who said he cannot afford to live on £120,000 accidentally sends colleagues his knighthood nomination
THE Tory MP who said he cannot afford to live on £120,000 accidentally forwarded his nomination for a knighthood to 110 colleagues.
Ex-Minister George Freeman posted a gushing letter of support for him getting a gong on a Whatsapp group for the Tory One Nation caucus by mistake.
Monday evening’s gaffe came just hours after he hit the headlines for claiming he could not afford his mortgage on a minister’s £120,000 pay.
The nomination letter was signed by three top scientists, backing Freeman for a “Knighthood for Services to Science and Public Service.”
The letter claimed he is an “outspoken champion” and a “defining force” worthy of the top honour.
It added that he had been “strikingly non partisan” and had “won the respect of colleagues across all parties.”
But after it was posted from Mr Freeman’s mobile number to scores of other Tory MPs on the messaging app, the note was swiftly deleted.
Mr Freeman was already at the centre of a storm after claiming he had to quit his ministerial job because he could not live on the £118,300 salary.
He departed his Science and Tech role role in November, saying yesterday his mortgage payments had soared to £2,000, up by £1,200.
Labour leapt on the comments to brand the Tories out of touch and blame Liz Truss for mortgage woes for millions.
And Tory MPs were furious after Mr Freeman publicly stated the party were on course for a tonking at the General Election with the UK “heading for a Labour government.”
Last night friends of Mr Freeman said the mistake was made by a junior staffer who was in fact trying to forward the letter to him.
They insisted the letter was drawn up by Science and Technology leaders as their nomination – but were not asked to do so.
Downing Street said it had “no plans to change our approach to ministerial pay”.