Brexit Secretary David Davis Accused By Former Aide Of Being Workshy And Inept

Former chief of staff lets rip in raft of Tweets
PA Wire/PA Images

A former aide to Brexit Secetary David Davis has accused the Cabinet minister of being workshy, inept and a liar.

In a string of tweets, James Chapman even hinted his ex-boss could be “insane”, and suggested he had behaved “inappropriately” towards Labour’s Diane Abbott in a Commons bar.

Chapman, who has until now been careful not to directly criticise Davis, let rip on Twitter after the Brexit Secretary said on TV that his former chief of staff had always been “a Remainer”.

The former aide hit back that Davis had been “working a three day week” ever since Theresa May handed him the plum role as the minister in charge of Brexit.

Wish I could say the same for DD. He's been working 3 day week since day one #byebyeconkip #thedemocrats https://t.co/nga2K6POxO

— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 15, 2017

David Davis on @jameschappers: "He did a great job as my chief of staff, but even the day he arrived [at @DExEUgov] he was a Remainer" #gmb

— Asa Bennett (@asabenn) August 15, 2017

He added that Davis and May “don’t have the first idea what they are doing” and that his ex boss was lying when he claimed the UK will “probably” not have to pay to access the EU customs union in any interim trade deal.

This is a lie. They all fall away as DD would know if he ever bothered to read his box #misconduct #thedemocrats #wemarchon https://t.co/TX5RF5rJck

— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 15, 2017

This is a lie #misconduct #thedemocrats #wemarchon https://t.co/ydra7Z6Cd0

— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 15, 2017

No it's not. It's because he and the PM don't have the first idea what they are doing #thedemocrats #wemarchon https://t.co/zijqptoyPo

— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 15, 2017

David Davis says if people not aware of what they want for Brexit that's on purpose. He says "constructive ambiguity" vital for negotiations

— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) August 15, 2017

Someone should ask DD about time he told horrified Slovakian PM "if you think we are going to pay so you can sell us your cars, forget it"

— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 15, 2017

Well. He isn't on drugs as far as I know #thedemocrats #WeMarchOn https://t.co/snzqzxrWE7

— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 15, 2017

Chapman further added that Davis ordered civil servants to put Nigel Farage on “speed dial” on his official government mobile.

And he ordered appalled civil servants to programme it into his official phone. They refused #thedemocrats #wemarchon https://t.co/zxVzB5pitg

— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 15, 2017

Davis denies @jameschappers's claim that he has Farage on speed dial. "Not on speed-dial, but I've got his number" #lbc

— Asa Bennett (@asabenn) August 15, 2017

The ex-aide also referred to an incident earlier in the summer when Davis confronted Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott after a Brexit vote, accusing him of “bullying” the Labour minister and of “inappropriate” behaviour.

He retweeted an infamous image of Davis’s 2005 leadership campaign in which two women were dressed in ‘DD for me’ t-shirts.

He's horrible. No DD for me. pic.twitter.com/BPdp8ApCBj

— Jim McIver (@klemmett_r) August 15, 2017

And he took aim at the BBC too, claiming that Radio 4 Today programme presenter John Humphrys went on holiday with Davis.

It is totally inappropriate for Humphrys to conduct Brexit interviews. Mail has to be prised out of his hands and he holidays with DD

— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 15, 2017

But the claim was swiftly rebutted by Sarah Sands, the new editor of the Today programme.

Not true. John has never been on holiday with David Davis.

— sarah sands (@sarahsands100) August 15, 2017

Chapman, who was the Daily Mail’s political editor before working for George Osborne and then Davis, has in recent weeks become one of the most strident anti-Brexit voices online.

He has been calling for the creation of a new political party, ‘the Democrats’, to reverse Brexit and last week lashed out at the Government over its plans to quit the EU by 2019.

Davis, who on Tuesday published the latest ‘position paper’ on UK trade plans post-Brexit, spoke for the first time publicly about his former aide.

Former Davis chief of staff James Chapman.
Former Davis chief of staff James Chapman.
Twitter

He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that Chapman had been an effective adviser but suggested his personal opposition to the UK quitting the European Union had never wavered.

Davis later told LBC radio that he did not want to engage in criticism of his former aide.

“James, when he came to me, he was a Remainer, we knew that. But he did a good job as chief of staff. I am not going to criticise him. I don’t do that, I’m afraid,” the Brexit Secretary said.

As part of a raft of rapid-fire Tweets, Chapman also hit out at his former employer the Daily Mail.

No one cares what @dailymailuk has to say. You have brought this great country to its knees #thedemocrats #wemarchon https://t.co/9sPIZ9JR4B

— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 15, 2017

He tweeted Daily Mail writer Sarah Vine, the wife of Cabinet Minister Michael Gove, claiming the couple had been cut off by former friends David and Samantha Cameron, since the Brexit vote.

Have you heard from Sam or the godkids yet? Thought not. #wemarchon https://t.co/Lvd0xWrvi4

— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 14, 2017
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