In September he was at a Board of Deputies etc dinner with Natasha Kaplinsky, who interviewed him, Tracy Ann Oberman and Marie Van der Zyl. He used his speech to undermine Corbyn back then.
Heaping praise on MPs such as Dame Margaret Hodge, Ruth Smeeth and Lord Mann, he said: "It is essential we have some people who are going to stay and fight this out." He added: "There are really good Labour MPs that are standing in this election. People I know, people I've worked with. [..] Later, Home Secretary Priti Patel addressed the event, which was attended by MPs Mike Gapes, Mike Freer, Dame Louise Ellman, Dame Margaret Hodge, Lord Dubbs, Baroness Ludford and Lord Levy, amongst others.