Tory MP defends 'embarrassingly poor' no confidence letter after grammar criticism

A Conservative MP has defended her letter expressing no confidence in Rishi Sunak after it was criticised over its grammar and punctuation.

Dame Andrea Jenkyns, the Tory MP for Morley and Outwood in West Yorkshire, submitted her letter on Monday following the prime minister's reshuffle.

A number of teachers criticised the way the letter was written, with one describing it as "embarrassingly poor".

In response, Jenkyns pointed out that she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which can affect spelling and grammar, and accused those criticising her of being "sanctimonious".

Sunak sacked Suella Braverman as home secretary on Monday after her controversial comments about the homeless and the Metropolitan Police, replacing her with James Cleverly, and, in a shock move, brought former prime minister David Cameron back into government as foreign secretary.

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Jenkyns submitted a letter of no confidence in Sunak as party leader to the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee.

She wrote: "Enough is enough.

"If it wasn't bad enough that we have a party leader that the party members rejected, the polls demonstrate that the public reject him, and I am in full agreement. It's time for Rishi Sunak to go."

She added: "Rishi's Machiavellian involvement in getting rid of our democratically elected leader Boris Johnson, who bravely fought for Brexit when parliament was in deadlock. Yes Boris, the man who won the Conservative Party a massive majority, was unforgivable enough.

"But then to purge the centre-right from his cabinet and then sack Suella who was the only person in the cabinet with the balls to speak the truth of the appalling state of our streets and a two-tier policing system that leaves Jewish community in fear for their lives and safety."

Jenkyns, a former junior minister for skills, further and higher education, who was made a dame earlier this year by Johnson in his resignation honours, said she had submitted her letter "to stand up and fight for true Conservatism”.

However, the letter was criticised on social media by a number of current and former teachers over its grammar and punctuation.

Former England rugby player Brian Moore posted a picture of the letter on X, formerly Twitter, saying: "This letter is from a former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Skills, Further and Higher Education. If any English teachers follow me, I would like to see your critique on the standard of writing."

English teacher and journalist Kristina Murkett wrote on X: "My Year 7s have better punctuation and grammar than this. Clearly Jenkyns doesn’t just have a problem with pronouns, but verbs too."

Chris Murgatroyd posted on X: "Retired English teacher here: I could give you 'chapter and verse' and even send you an annotated, corrected version but there are only 24 hours in a day. Suffice to say, it's embarrassingly poor."

Tracy Austin, a former English and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) teacher, wrote: "This letter would not meet marking criteria."

Last month, while announcing on X that she had written to the prime minister and the chancellor to call for more investment in SEND services, Jenkyns said: "I have ADHD myself and understand the daily challenges."

Experts say that because those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) generally have problems with focus and attention to details, they can be more prone to making mistakes in spelling, grammar or punctuation when writing.

In response to the criticism of her letter, a spokesperson for Jenkyns told Yahoo News UK: "Andrea has ADHD."

They added that those criticising her letter "should learn more about neurodiversity before jumping to sanctimonious conclusions".

What is ADHD?

According to the NHS, people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and might act on impulse.

Most cases of ADHD are diagnosed when children are under 12, but it can go unrecognised and be diagnosed later when the person is an adult.

The NHS said adults with ADHD may have problems with time management, following instructions, completing tasks or feeling restless.

Students who have ADHD can have issues with spelling, grammar and punctuation because of problems with focus, experts say.

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