Boris Backstab Drama: Nadine Dorries Sparks Tory Fury with Julius Caesar Tweet
Conservative MP Nadine Dorries has thrown fuel on the Tory infighting fire, sharing a controversial image depicting Rishi Sunak as Brutus stabbing Boris Johnson’s Julius Caesar in the back. The political cartoon, intended as satire, has unleashed a storm of condemnation from senior Tories.
Sunak as Brutus: Dangerous Political Jab?
The retweet showed Sunak poised to betray Johnson, prompting swift backlash. Greg Hands slammed it as “dangerous,” while Robert Buckland called it “not just incendiary – it’s wrong.” Both ministers condemned the timing and taste, highlighting memories of the tragic stabbing of MP Sir David Amess less than a year ago.
“It’s in very bad taste, even dangerous. I find it repugnant, especially since it happened less than a year ago,” said Greg Hands.
Tory Heavyweights Speak Out
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’s camp distanced themselves from the tweet. Robert Lewis, a Truss supporter, said: “It is certainly not the kind of thing I would tweet. It’s not from Liz’s team, her campaign, or Liz herself. Nadine speaks for herself.”
Welsh Secretary Sir Robert Buckland called the imagery “not just incendiary, it’s wrong,” urging politicians to focus on “issues rather than personality.” Senior MP Simon Hoare described the move as “divisive, disingenuous, and disturbing,” stressing the party should respect “fallen colleagues David Amess and Jo Cox.”
Dorries Defends ‘Satirical’ Stab
An ally of Ms Dorries insisted the image was “quite obviously a satirical photoshop providing political commentary.” They pointed to similar cartoons involving Michael Gove in 2016, adding: “Of course, some people will want to be deliberately offended.”
Ms Dorries, a fierce Johnson ally, has ramped up attacks on Sunak recently, accusing him of orchestrating a “coup” with “Tudoresque brutality” in her Mail on Sunday column.
Calls Out Sunak’s ‘£450 Prada Shoes’ Amid Tory Rows
In another Twitter swipe, Dorries mocked Sunak’s expensive Prada footwear, comparing it to Liz Truss’s “£4.50 earrings” from Claire’s Accessories. She denies making “anti-aspirational” jabs, insisting she was warning Tory members not to be fooled by appearances.
“The assassin’s gleaming smile, gentle voice, and even his diminutive stature had many of us well and truly fooled,” Dorries wrote, criticising Sunak’s “lack of self-awareness” for sporting luxury shoes during a visit to deprived Teeside.
The row comes as Tory wounds over the Chris Pincher scandal and Johnson’s resignation are still raw, with Sunak among the first cabinet members to quit. Dorries’ blast has clearly deepened divisions in the party.
