B
Oris Johnson’s government was struck again on Friday after a fifth new lawmaker called on him to resign following Sue Gray’s report.
Sir Bob Neal, an MP from Bromley and Chislehurst, called on the Prime Minister to resign on Friday afternoon.
He said he had sent a letter of no confidence in the prime minister to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Tory Committee of Tory Deputies.
In recent days, Wimbledon MP Stephen Hammond, David Simmonds, Ruislip MP, Northwood and Pinner MP, Billericay MP John Barron and York MP Julian Sturdy have issued statements calling for Mr Johnson to step down following Gray’s report. Wednesday for the party scandal.
Sir Bob, Chairman of the Municipal Justice Committee, said: “My years as a lawyer have taught me not to draw conclusions without the fullest possible evidence.
READ MORE
“I was just as clear that we cannot have one rule for government employees and different for everyone else. Those of us who set the rules have a special responsibility to abide by. “
He added: “Sue Gray’s report highlighted a pattern of completely unacceptable behavior spread over several months by some 10 Downing Street workers, including breaking rules that cause real pain and hardship for many and which the government and we as parliamentarians , told others to live.
“I have listened carefully to the explanations given by the prime minister in parliament and elsewhere, and unfortunately I do not find his allegations credible.
That is why, with a heavy heart, I sent a letter of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady on Wednesday afternoon.
He stressed: “Trust is the most important commodity in politics, but these events have undermined trust not only in the Prime Minister’s Office, but also in the political process itself. To restore that trust and move forward, a change in leadership is needed. “
Sir Bob’s intervention came hours after the resignation of a government aide who criticized “the toxic culture that seems to have penetrated number 10.”
Eastleigh MP Paul Holmes has resigned as Parliamentary Personal Secretary to Interior Minister Priti Patel.
In a statement condemning the party scandal, he said: “It is clear to me that these events have created deep mistrust in both the government and the Conservative Party, something that hurts me personally as a person who always tries to represent Eastleigh and his people with integrity.
“I am unhappy that this work on your behalf has been tainted by the toxic culture that seems to have infiltrated Number 10.”
He added: “Over the last few weeks, this suffering has led me to conclude that I want to continue to focus solely on my efforts to be your Member of Parliament and the campaigns that are important to you. That is why I have now resigned from my government duties as Parliamentary Personal Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior. “
Separately, Alicia Kearns, a Tory MP elected during Mr Johnson’s convincing election victory in 2019, said that following Mrs Gray’s report, she had concluded that the Prime Minister had misled Parliament when he said that Covid’s rules were followed on Downing Street.
Ms. Cairns said in a Facebook post that she still did not trust the prime minister, a position first stated in January.
The Rutland and Melton MP said: “It is wrong that their families were forbidden to say goodbye to their dying relatives, while the Prime Minister was complicit in organizing many farewell parties for his staff, which we now know to show complete disregard. to restrictions and were full of vomiting, fighting and harassment.
“I can only conclude that the prime minister’s account of the events before parliament was misleading.
Ms Kearns did not say whether Mr Johnson’s lack of confidence had led to her presenting a letter of no confidence.
The prime minister was already facing the threat of a growing riot on Friday with six other Tory MPs who are said to have sent private letters of no confidence to him since the publication of Sue Gray’s report.
But Mr Johnson said during a visit to Stockton-on-Tees, where he met with fiber-optic interns, that he was confident he had enough support within his party to stay in office.
Asked about Gray’s report, he dismissed the question, saying: “I think I gave some very old and comprehensive answers to this whole topic the other day in the House of Commons and then at the next press conference.
He tried to deflect further questions when he was pressured into tolerating a culture in which employees drank so much that they were sick, got into fights and abused security and cleaning staff.
“If you look at the answers in the House of Commons for more than two hours, I think you can see that I answered that very, very comprehensively,” Mr Johnson said.
However, more and more MPs are considering whether to continue to support him or not.
Anti-corruption MP John Penrose said Thursday that he would “sleep on it” when asked if he would write to Sir Graham.
If he receives 54 letters from conservative MPs, it will provoke a vote of confidence in Mr Johnson’s leadership.
Following the damned report on the party scandal, Mr Penrose told LBC Radio that he was “very concerned about whether or not [the PM] told the truth in parliament. “
It was unclear this morning whether Mr. Penrose had sent a letter.
But many Conservative MPs still support Mr Johnson. James Grundy, elected Tory MP from Lee in 2019, told Standard: “Concerns about the cost of living crisis are the main concern of my constituents. I don’t believe it’s time to blow up the government. “
The father of the house, Sir Peter Bottomley, said: “I do not think that the events of the last week have made a significant difference. He is the Prime Minister, people should not expect him to stop being the Prime Minister.
The cabinet has united around Mr Johnson, with even Whip chief Chris Heaton-Harris taking the unusual step for the post to publicly express his support.
He tweeted earlier this week: “Sue Gray’s report has been published and the prime minister has apologized. There are many problems that our country is facing, and Parliament must look outside and look at them. Our Prime Minister is a man who is constantly receiving big calls and will continue to do so. “
Many deputies at a 1922 committee meeting on Wednesday afternoon also backed the prime minister.
The rebels believe they can “easily” get 54 names to provoke a vote of confidence in Mr Johnson, but are not sure they will get 100.
So, if there is a vote, he can win it, and the crucial question will be whether he has retained enough support in the parliamentary party to continue as prime minister.
Ms. Gray’s partygate report examined 16 rallies on Downing Street and Whitehall, including eight attended by the prime minister.
Mr. Johnson was fined only for attending a gathering, his birthday party in the cabinet in June 2020, but Ms. Gray criticized the culture and leadership in No. 10, which he chairs.
The senior government official’s report found that a large number of people attended events and violated Covid’s guidelines, and staff were unable to express concerns about their behavior. Despite the ban on social gatherings, some events were excessive alcohol consumption, one person was ill and had a fight.
Some officials tried to disguise the parties, including by leaving the back door of Downing Street. Mr Johnson has denied misleading parliament, insisting he was unaware of rule number 10, but is facing an investigation by the Municipal Privileges Committee into whether he knowingly misled municipalities.
Detectives are investigating 12 of the events in Ms. Gray’s report and imposing 126 fines for Covid violations on 83 people. Met executives have defended the basis of how they decide who should be fined, including whether people have attended meetings in a “work-related” context.
Add Comment