T
The prime minister is in “real trouble” and may receive a vote of confidence next week, Lord William Hague said on Tuesday.
The former Tory leader said “respected” conservatives began turning their backs on Boris Johnson after the publication of the damned Partygate report.
Lord Hague added that the Conservative Party was “very concerned” by the contents of Sue Gray’s report, which found that Mr Johnson was leading a drinking culture that had developed on Downing Street during the pandemic.
“Excessive amounts” of alcohol were consumed during illegal gatherings and “disrespect” was shown to cleaning and security personnel, the senior civil servant said.
“I think Boris Johnson is in real trouble here,” Lord Hague told Times Radio.
READ MORE
He said some lawmakers may want to wait until the June 23 midterm elections in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton before deciding on Mr Johnson’s future as prime minister, but others would like to impose a leadership vote. earlier.
“Many people misunderstood last week’s events because the problems are over, Boris is free,” he said.
“And this is not really the mood in the Conservative Party, which is very, very concerned about the content of this report.
“I think the Conservative Party will have to decide this one way or another, because to be an effective party, they either have to unite behind the prime minister they have, or they have to decide to push him out. And I think they’re moving towards next week or the end of June, they’re moving towards a vote. ”
Mr Johnson will face a vote of confidence if 54 Tory MPs write to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the commission since 1922, requesting that it be held.
The prime minister was hit again on Tuesday after another Tory MP confirmed that they had sent a letter of no confidence to Sir Graham.
Carlisle MP John Stevenson said the no-confidence vote was “the only way to put an end to all the recent problems with the No. 10 activities”.
Seventeen Tory MPs have already confirmed that they have written to Sir Graham, while another 20 have called for Johnson to resign, but have not confirmed the letter. Another 32 Tory MPs have publicly criticized Mr Johnson over the party scandal.
Bromley and Chislehurst MP Sir Bob Neal confirmed that he had sent a letter of no confidence because of the “very strong condemnation of the failure of leadership” outlined in Ms Gray’s report.
He said: “I think history as a whole shows that not everyone, for perfectly good reasons, will want to talk about whether they have sent a letter. Only Sir Graham knows this, and he is careful to maintain complete confidentiality until a trigger appears. the figure has been transmitted. “
Four MEPs from London, Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon), Elliott Colburn (Carshallton), David Simmonds (Ruislip, Northwood and Piner) and Sir Bob, have so far called for Mr Johnson to step down.
London Minister Paul Scully said that “the Prime Minister has my support and I would step down from the government if he does not.” Lichfield MP Michael Fabrikant also said he supported Mr Johnson. “Colleagues working to remove Boris from the post of prime minister due to alleged unpopularity or Brexit are self-destructive,” he said.
But on Tuesday, former Cabinet Secretary Andrea Leedsom criticized Mr Johnson for a “failure” of the leadership, but did not confirm whether she had filed a no-confidence motion.
In a statement to her constituents in South Northamptonshire, she said: “There have been unacceptable failures in the leadership that cannot be tolerated and are the responsibility of the Prime Minister.
“Each of my fellow Conservative MPs and I must decide on the right course of action that will restore confidence in our government.
Meanwhile, a new poll on Tuesday showed Labor has increased its lead over the Conservatives by two points since the Gray report was published.
A poll by Savanta ComRes shows that Sir Keira Starmer’s party has 42 percent of the vote – 11 points ahead of Boris Johnson’s Conservatives, who fell three points to 31 percent and is the largest registered by sociologists since February.
Add Comment