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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Despite calls for change, Poilievre's campaign manager keeps an advisory role, firm on party payroll
OTTAWA — As Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre faces calls to make changes following his April election loss, the manager who ran that campaign remains an advisor, but is taking a less visible role, at least for now. Jenni Byrne's future with the party has been a source of discussion among MPs and other Conservative supporters, frustrated by the party's loss to Prime Minister Mark Carney and decisions made by the campaign in a race that became defined by which leader Canadians trusted to go toe-to-toe with U.S. President Donald Trump. Parting ways with Byrne, a longtime Conservative organizer who ran the party's 2025 campaign, is something that has been conveyed to Poilievre, according to several sources who spoke to National Post. So far, Poilievre has shown no sign of being willing to do so, telling reporters before his first post-campaign caucus meeting back in April that, 'excluding is never the way to broaden a team,' even as some MPs and insiders pointed fingers at Byrne for operational and internal decisions they felt were mistakes. He conveyed the same sentiment to the caucus. Since the election, confusion has swirled as to whether Byrne, who worked as a top advisor to Poilievre since his 2022 leadership campaign, would remain in her role. She was not present around Parliament Hill before the House of Commons broke for summer and was absent from certain internal calls and meetings, including a recent national council meeting when members discussed the upcoming leadership review, which is set to take place in Calgary in January. A Conservative source, who spoke on a not-for-attribution basis because they were not authorized to discuss these matters publicly, said the lack of clarity around Byrne's role in the party has been creating tensions amongst caucus members, party members — and even big party donors who are wondering if their generous donations are being used to pay for Byrne's services. However, the Conservative party confirmed on Tuesday that Byrne has not gone anywhere. 'Jenni Byrne is still an advisor to the Conservative Party of Canada and Pierre Poilievre,' Sarah Fischer said in a brief statement, adding that she remains the leader's proxy at national council meetings. A spokesperson for Byrne's lobbying firm, Jenni Byrne + Associates, also confirmed that it remains a contractor for the party. 'The arrangement with the Conservative Party of Canada was always through JB+A — never personally with Jenni. This was the case before the election and continues to be the case post-election,' said the spokesperson, who declined to provide their name because they do not usually comment about their clients. Byrne did not respond to a request for comment on why the contract she has with the party is with her firm and not directly with her. Two sources close to Byrne's thinking said she is still working in an advisory capacity with the party and with Poilievre but has been spending more time in Toronto and dedicating more hours to her lobbying firm ever since the Conservatives lost the election. 'There's nothing to announce because nothing's really changed,' said one of them, who added there is currently 'no bad blood' with either Poilievre or his wife Anaida, who campaigned with her husband daily and has taken an active role within the party. Sources told National Post that Byrne is spending time on more focused issues, such as Poilievre's upcoming byelection in the rural Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, set for Aug.18, as well as his upcoming leadership review. That review will be a crucial test for Poilievre, who will be the first Conservative leader to undergo such a review, given that his two predecessors either stepped down or were ousted by caucus before having the opportunity to do so. One Conservative MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called for Byrne to be removed, pointing to widespread dissatisfaction over how the party handled the nomination of its candidates, with dozens disqualified from running and others appointed last-minute in ridings across Ontario. The MP said there is an expectation that Poilievre demonstrates that he has changed, particularly when it comes to his tone and approach. While no formal election review has been triggered, Poilievre has been making calls, including to conservative and right-wing influencers, and speaking with candidates and MPs about what they want done, according to sources. Among the concerns expressed about the campaign have been the lack of visibility of candidates who ran for the party. Some Conservative insiders have noted that since the race, efforts have not gone unnoticed to give some of the newest Conservative MPs speaking time in the House of Commons. Poilievre himself also recently gave his first English interview to CBC, the public broadcaster he has vowed to cut public funding. At least two sources also expressed caution about parting ways with Byrne, given her skills as an organizer and the larger issue that Poilievre has, which is to demonstrate change and present himself as an alternative to Carney. Public opinion polls suggest Carney is enjoying a high level of support among Canadians and advancing Conservative-friendly ideas, such as getting major infrastructure projects built, such as pipelines. On Monday, National Post asked Poilievre if he was considering any changes to his team or his approach since the election. He said 'every election comes with lessons' and proceeded to explain how he needs to reach even more Canadians with his message. 'Our mission is to give people back control of their lives, to make this a country where anyone who works hard gets a good life and that homes are affordable, streets are safe, immigration works for Canada first. Those are going to be the things we focus on,' he said. 'At the same time, we have to ask how we can reach more people with that message. We ended up getting a tremendous result… but 41 per cent might not be enough in the future. So, we have to ask how we can expand even beyond that number,' he said. Poilievre added: 'We also need to present ourselves as a government in waiting so that when the time comes, Canadians can feel confident in choosing us to lead the country forward.' National Post staylor@ calevesque@ Poilievre says Carney lied about conflicts after ethics disclosure reveals investment portfolio Alberta separatists slam Poilievre for declaring himself a 'Canadian patriot' opposed to secession Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here.
National Post
2 hours ago
- Politics
- National Post
Despite calls for change, Poilievre's campaign manager keeps an advisory role, firm on party payroll
Article content Byrne did not respond to a request for comment on why the contract she has with the party is with her firm and not directly with her. Article content Two sources close to Byrne's thinking said she is still working in an advisory capacity with the party and with Poilievre but has been spending more time in Toronto and dedicating more hours to her lobbying firm ever since the Conservatives lost the election. Article content 'There's nothing to announce because nothing's really changed,' said one of them, who added there is currently 'no bad blood' with either Poilievre or his wife Anaida, who campaigned with her husband daily and has taken an active role within the party. Article content Sources told National Post that Byrne is spending time on more focused issues, such as Poilievre's upcoming byelection in the rural Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, set for Aug.18, as well as his upcoming leadership review. Article content That review will be a crucial test for Poilievre, who will be the first Conservative leader to undergo such a review, given that his two predecessors either stepped down or were ousted by caucus before having the opportunity to do so. Article content Article content One Conservative MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called for Byrne to be removed, pointing to widespread dissatisfaction over how the party handled the nomination of its candidates, with dozens disqualified from running and others appointed last-minute in ridings across Ontario. Article content The MP said there is an expectation that Poilievre demonstrates that he has changed, particularly when it comes to his tone and approach. Article content While no formal election review has been triggered, Poilievre has been making calls, including to conservative and right-wing influencers, and speaking with candidates and MPs about what they want done, according to sources. Article content Among the concerns expressed about the campaign have been the lack of visibility of candidates who ran for the party. Article content Some Conservative insiders have noted that since the race, efforts have not gone unnoticed to give some of the newest Conservative MPs speaking time in the House of Commons. Poilievre himself also recently gave his first English interview to CBC, the public broadcaster he has vowed to cut public funding. Article content At least two sources also expressed caution about parting ways with Byrne, given her skills as an organizer and the larger issue that Poilievre has, which is to demonstrate change and present himself as an alternative to Carney. Public opinion polls suggest Carney is enjoying a high level of support among Canadians and advancing Conservative-friendly ideas, such as getting major infrastructure projects built, such as pipelines. Article content On Monday, National Post asked Poilievre if he was considering any changes to his team or his approach since the election. He said 'every election comes with lessons' and proceeded to explain how he needs to reach even more Canadians with his message. Article content 'Our mission is to give people back control of their lives, to make this a country where anyone who works hard gets a good life and that homes are affordable, streets are safe, immigration works for Canada first. Those are going to be the things we focus on,' he said. Article content 'At the same time, we have to ask how we can reach more people with that message. We ended up getting a tremendous result… but 41 per cent might not be enough in the future. So, we have to ask how we can expand even beyond that number,' he said.
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Poilievre adviser Jenni Byrne staying on, Conservatives confirm amid speculation of ouster
Jenni Byrne, the campaign director who many blame for the Conservatives' loss in the spring election, will continue to play a role in the party, but sources say she is stepping away from the daily grind on Parliament Hill. Ms. Byrne did not personally return a request for comment from The Globe and Mail on Tuesday. But party spokesperson Sarah Fischer said Ms. Byrne remains involved. 'Jenni Byrne is still an adviser to the Conservative Party of Canada and Pierre Poilievre,' she said in an e-mail. But, two sources told The Globe that she is scaling back her connection to the party's work in opposition. The Globe is not naming the sources as they were not authorized by the party to discuss internal human-resources issues. Word that Ms. Byrne had been forced out spread through Ottawa political circles Tuesday, the latest round of speculation on whether Leader Pierre Poilievre will make any changes to how his party does business after an election campaign that returned yet another Liberal minority government. Ms. Byrne and Mr. Poilievre have a personal and professional relationship that goes back decades. She is sometimes referred to as the most powerful woman in Conservative politics, and she played a significant role in the previous Conservative government, led by Stephen Harper. Ms. Byrne ran Mr. Poilievre's party leadership race in 2022. In the years after that victory, she was a near-constant presence on Parliament Hill, though she never had a formal title. Opinion: New leader, or new system? The Conservatives ponder life under two-party politics She was involved in daily calls and meetings and helped direct strategy and messaging even as she was also running her own lobbying firm, Jenni Byrne and Associates, out of Toronto. Toward the end of 2024, it seemed that the Conservatives would form government in the next election, and speculation then was whether Ms. Byrne would become Mr. Poilievre's chief of staff or continue with her firm. But, the election of U.S. President Donald Trump changed the political landscape. Mr. Poilievre – and Ms. Byrne – struggled to recalibrate their party's narrative to account for the surge of Canadian nationalism amid the trade dispute with the U.S. So, though on April 28, the party won more seats and more votes than it had in 2021, it still failed to defeat the Liberals. To some within the party, that is Ms. Byrne's fault and the fact that Mr. Poilievre lost his own seat is held up as evidence of her failure. Others lay more of the blame on him, and point to Prime Minister Mark Carney's adoption of some Conservative pledges as evidence that their policy offerings weren't the issue, but their leader was. Mr. Poilievre is now running in a by-election for the Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot. No formal postmortem of the party's election campaign has been announced, but Mr. Poilievre's leadership will be up for a review by the grassroots at a convention scheduled for January. He has been asked outright in the past whether he'd fire Ms. Byrne, and has supported her. On Monday, he was asked whether anything was going to change about how he runs the party. Opinion: Can Pierre Poilievre outrun the 'yesterday's man' label? In his answer, he referred to the fact that the Conservatives won 41 per cent of the popular vote. It's a number that used to be enough to form government; the Liberals won in 2021 with just 32 per cent of the vote. The collapse of support for the NDP, however, saw the Liberals garner nearly 44 per cent in April. 'Forty-one per cent might not be enough in the future, and so we have to ask, 'How can we expand even beyond that number and reach even more Canadians with our message?,' ' Mr. Poilievre told reporters after an unrelated announcement. 'We need to present ourselves as a government in waiting.'
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Julian Smith says David Cameron was 'cavalier' in handling of Brexit
Former Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith has accused ex-Prime Minister David Cameron of treating the 2016 Brexit referendum as "some sort of Eton game".Smith was the government's chief whip from 2016 until 2019 under Theresa May's premiership, which was fraught with tension over how the UK should leave the Tory MP was highly critical of Lord Cameron, who made the decision to hold the referendum after pressure from Eurosceptics, saying he had been "extremely cavalier"."There should have been a proposition which outlined how both answers would be addressed," he said. 'Some sort of Eton game' "I joined the Conservative Party because of David Cameron, because he was dynamic... but looking back on it, it was unforgiveable that this fundamental question was put to the British people when you have a whole range of issues, not least the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland," he told the BBC's Red Lines podcast."It was put to the British people as if it was some sort of Eton game." Brexit referendum in 2016 Lord Cameron is among a number of former British politicians who were educated privately at Eton College in a majority voted to leave the EU, Lord Cameron resigned as prime in 2016, after leaving office, he defended his decision to call the referendum. "I believe and still believe that the fact that we hadn't had a referendum on this issue for 40 years, despite the fact that the European Union was changing ... was actually beginning to poison British politics - it was certainly poisoning politics in my own party. "And I think, more broadly, people felt 'well, we have been promised referendums and they haven't been delivered' and people were beginning to feel very frustrated about this issue." When Lord Cameron quit as prime minister others in the Conservative Party were left to handle the Brexit was part of that government under Theresa May, which struggled to get agreement on how it should be done. 'Pretty disastrous' The former cabinet minister said issues such as how to maintain an open border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK and therefore would leave the EU, and the Republic of Ireland, which remains in the EU, should have been foreseen during the campaign."Instead the UK was led into years of contemplating an answer to that question."As time went on moderates turned into purists on either side, it was a pretty disastrous period." After Theresa May resigned as prime minister due to an inability to pass Brexit legislation, Boris Johnson took over and appointed Smith as Northern Ireland Secretary in July was a key player in getting devolution at Stormont restored the following January, after three years of deadlock, but he was sacked from the job a month later due to disagreements with said he "loved" the job, but was not surprised to lose it given he had been an ardent supporter of Theresa remained an observer of Northern Ireland issues after moving to the Commons' backbenches, and called on the Stormont Executive to take "tough decisions" on public services. Border poll Asked about the potential for a border poll, Smith said he did not think the conditions were "right" for one."Look at all the other things that need to be done."Don't let politicians in Northern Ireland off the hook on dealing with social mobility, dealing with the health service, revenue raising - this constitutional discussion is basically an excuse for not dealing with these priority issues," he added."I cannot in any world see a border poll with interest from Ireland, acceptance from the UK... I just don't see that happening at the current time so we're better focusing on making people's lives better."You can listen to Smith's interview on Red Lines on BBC Sounds from 06:00 BST.
Sky News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News
James Cleverly says leaving ECHR is 'not silver bullet' - and leaves door open for leadership bid
Senior Tory Sir James Cleverly has said he is not convinced leaving the European Convention of Human Rights is a "silver bullet" to reduce criminal deportations - and would not rule out running for party leader. The former foreign and home secretary appeared to diverge from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch's stance on the ECHR in a speech about the challenges facing the Conservative Party and UK politics in general. Last month, Ms Badenoch launched a review into whether the UK should withdraw from the treaty that is a central part of UK human rights law and has been used to halt attempts to deport illegal immigrants. She said she is "increasingly of the view" that leaving the ECHR would be necessary. But Sir James said when he was home secretary, from November 2023 to July 2024, he noticed the UK had "one of the lowest deportation rates" of foreign criminals "amongst our European neighbours" - who are also ECHR signatories. He said he was looking into why that was but the general election happened "before I got any credible answer". 1:30 "But the bottom line is other signatories to the ECHR are kicking out foreign criminals much more than we are," he told the Institute for Public Policy. "And other countries who are not signatories to the ECHR are also struggling so I'm not convinced the ECHR is, on its own, a silver bullet. "Particularly if we don't do something about what I worry is a political activism in the legal system, which is trying to re-write British border immigration law policy through case law rather than through parliament." His comments are also in opposition to Robert Jenrick, who, like Sir James, unsuccessfully ran to be Tory leader, and has said the Tories must back leaving the ECHR to survive. I don't want to jump into leadership decision Sir James left the door open to trying again to become Conservative leader, saying he did not want to "jump" into any future political moves. Asked if he would try to become London mayor or Tory leader, he said: "I like being in government, I don't like being in opposition, which is why I'm clear that I will play my part in helping to get Conservatives back into government, at every level of government. "Exactly what I do next? I've forced a discipline on myself which is not to jump at something." He added that the Tories tried having a new leader "a number of times in the last government - it did not end well". The Braintree MP said after he lost the last leadership race he promised himself he "would spend some time thinking about exactly what I would do next". Voters will respond if Reform councils get stuff wrong In the speech, he also attacked Labour, Reform and all other parties, saying they tell people what they want to hear but do not have any "deliverable" policies. On the Conservatives' strategy to beat Reform, which has been polling ahead of all other parties, he told Sky News: "So at the moment, Reform are very, very popular, but now they're running stuff. "And as I've said, we've now got some examples in local government. "And local government is a bit of government people feel most important. "This is the bit of government that runs their adult social care, their roads, their schools, their waste collection and when governments get stuff like that wrong, people notice and people respond." He said if Reform councillors do not "step up and perform" voters will be looking for alternatives - "and that's what we need to do". "We need to make sure that we once again, are credible alternatives with a genuine plan and some energy and some direction," he added.
