Nick Timothy, Theresa May’s former chief of staff, has hit back at accusations he was engaging in “anti-semitic conspiracy theories” after he contributed to a report detailing how billionaire investor George Soros has backed an anti-Brexit campaign.
The involvement of Soros in the Brest for Britain group was reported on the front page of the Daily Telegraph on Thursday morning. According to the newspaper, Soros has donated £400,000 its campaign.
Best for Britain chairman Lord Malloch-Brown, a former minister and diplomat, said the group had followed rules governing financial contributions “to the letter”.
Timothy, who backed the Leave cause, used his column in the newspaper to claim the group wanted to bring down May’s government.
Jonathan Portes, a professor and former senior government economist, suggested on Twitter that Timothy was playing into “anti-semitic” theories about Soros.
Timothy hit back and told Portes the answer is no” and said he “withdraw the insinuation/allegation”.
Sir Eric Pickles, the former Tory cabinet minister who is the the prime minister’s Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust “ludicrous”.
Are the @Telegraph & @NickJTimothy really endorsing the Hungarian government’s anti-semitic conspiracy theories about George Soros? https://t.co/TJgGBQf4zp
February 7, 2018
I haven’t written about Hungary and you should withdraw your insinuation/accusation. If you read my column you will see I have written about the objectives of the anti-Brexit campaign and nothing else. https://t.co/ZsDYawrYDX
February 7, 2018
Are you saying you do not endorse & repudiate the quoted text? If so, I will happily accept that and redirect the question at the Telegraph only. https://t.co/YPSyZnjQLu
February 7, 2018
Stop doing the Portes Thing, Jonathan. You accused me of something based on something Sam B has since corrected, so withdraw the insinuation/allegation. https://t.co/NeeaulkJfU
February 7, 2018
I’ve been asked, quite reasonably, by @NickJTimothy to point out that he did not write the box accompanying his column that appears to endorse the Hungarian government’s anti-semitic conspiracy theories. Let’s hope he asks the @Telegraph to apologise. https://t.co/6E5YjILXsV
February 7, 2018
You asked whether I endorse an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. The answer is no, and as you know I haven’t even written about Hungary. So withdraw, please. https://t.co/aMpNvwQ1VY
February 7, 2018
@NickJTimothy @Telegraph we have known each other for a good years, we were on opposite sides during the EU referendum, the idea that you would endorse Antisemitism views is ludicrous. You are a consistent friend of Israel. Nasty smears add nothing to arguments
February 8, 2018
The funding for Best for Britain came through one of Soros’s foundations.
Soros, one of the world’s richest men who made a billion dollars betting against sterling on Black Wednesday in 1992, previously said it was possible that the UK would apply to rejoin the European Union soon after Brexit.
Lord Malloch-Brown said the group had “never hidden our agenda”. The Best for Britain website states that remaining a member of the European Union “must be presented again to the country as one of the options” for voters.
“We have been campaigning hard to win a meaningful vote on Brexit, which we did, and to keep all options on the table, including staying in the European Union,” Lord Malloch-Brown said.
“We, like millions of people, believe that Britain should lead, not leave Europe. We work with campaigners, businesses, unions, politicians and community groups to make sure everyone has a strong campaigning voice.”
A Brest for Britain source told HuffPost UK: “I love the Telegraph and many of its journalists but this was a pathetic piece of reporting. We have never hidden our agenda to keep all options, including staying in the EU on the table.
“We have also never hidden funds and supports us. We hope they plan to do a follow up. The publicity is very welcome.”
Timothy wrote in his column for The Daily Telegraph: “The objective is to convince MPs to vote against the deal Theresa May negotiates with Brussels, regardless of its content and despite the risk that doing so could mean Britain leaves the EU with no alternative agreement in place.
“Malloch-Brown and his backers believe that, if Parliament rejects the Brexit deal, the Government will fall, and Brexit can then be stopped.”
He said it should be a “wake-up call” to Conservatives in Parliament, adding: “However Tory MPs feel about Brexit, voting against the Government when the deal is done risks something much, much worse.”