Four other Tory MPs called on Boris Johnson to step down after reading Sue Gray’s damned report, with one saying the prime minister had lost support for “deliberately misleading parliament” by denying breaking the rules.
Stephen Hammond is the last Tory to call on Mr Johnson to leave, saying he had submitted a letter of no confidence to the prime minister.
In a statement on his website, the Wimbledon MP said he “cannot and will not defend the indefensible” after seeing Ms Gray’s report, adding that he did not believe his party could regain public confidence in Mr Mr. Johnson at the helm.
John Barron attacked a “shameful pattern of misconduct” at the heart of the government during the coronavirus pandemic, saying “his repeated assurances in parliament that there had been no breach of the rules were simply unreliable.”
David Simmonds, meanwhile, said it was “clear” that the public no longer supported Mr Johnson, adding: “It is time for him to step down so that the new leadership can continue the important work of the government.”
They were followed by Julian Sturdy, the first Tory MP to call on Johnson to leave following the publication of Mrs Gray’s report.
There are now 19 conservatives urging him to leave in public, and others may have sent letters of no confidence without making them public.
The prime minister appears to be struggling to move from Ms. Gray’s critical report to Downing Street parties, which accuse top 10 government officials of party culture during various blockades.
Ms Gray said there had been a “leadership failure” at number 10, and Mr Johnson told lawmakers that he took “full responsibility” for breaking the rules.
But he said it was time to move on, telling a Downing Street news conference that his priority now was to focus on the cost of living crisis.
Tory MPs John Barron, Julian Sturdy and David Simmonds want Boris Johnson to step down. Credit: Parliament
Rishi Sunak will announce a new package of support, but this is a move that many critics say is distracting from the Partygate scandal.
Downing Street Chief of Staff Steve Barkley told ITV News that the new measures were designed to shift the focus of the saga, telling political correspondent Carl Dinen that the government always plans to provide more support.
“We are not in control of the timing of Sue Gray’s report,” he said, adding that ministers had been waiting to see Ofgem’s guidelines – according to which the energy price cap could rise by almost £ 1,000 in October – before announcing new measures. .
But shifting the focus to the cost of living does not seem to be enough to satisfy Brexit-backing Mr Baron, who said in a statement: “Conscious delusion cannot be tolerated, regardless of the issue. the minister is the advantage of the party or the country is less important. “
“Since I have always said that I will look at all the available evidence before making a decision, I am afraid that the prime minister is no longer happy with my support – I can no longer use his doubts.”
Mr Baron’s call for the prime minister to resign is seen as significant, as he is not a typical Tory rebel and has not criticized the government before.
Is the revolt growing? Political correspondent Daniel Hewitt looks
Mr Simmonds, a new MP representing Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner since 2019, said he had waited to see Sue Gray’s report before deciding whether to support the prime minister to continue leading the Tories.
“After hearing what he said [at PMQs and to backbench MPs] and the views of the electorate and my conservative association, it is clear that while the government and our politicians enjoy the trust of the public, the prime minister does not.
Accordingly, it is time for him to step down so that the new leadership can continue the important work of the government to ensure the prosperity of our people and country.
Another Tory MP, Mr Sturdy, called on the MP to leave on Wednesday after a surprise YouGov poll found that three out of five Britons want Mr Johnson to leave.
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Mr Sturdy, an MP from York Outer, said: “It is in the public interest for him to resign.”
Former Assistant Minister Angela Richardson said the scandal had shattered public confidence in politicians and “has a bad effect on all of us”.
“I am clear that if this was a report on my leadership, I would resign,” the Tory MP wrote online.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons that the report “reveals rot” at number 10 and called on Tory MPs to tell Mr Johnson that “the game is over” and that it is “time to pack”.
Which Tories are publicly calling for Boris Johnson to leave?
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Roger Gale
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Mark Harper
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Steve Baker
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Peter Aldous
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Will Rag
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Julian Sturdy
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John Baron
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David Simmonds
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Nigel Mills
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Craig Whitaker
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Neil Hudson
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David Davis
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Aaron Bel
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Tobias Elwood
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Caroline Knox
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Tim Lawton
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Anthony Mangle
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Nick Gibb
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Stephen Hammond
What is the process by which the Tories remove their leader?
Tory MPs can impose a vote of no confidence in their leader if they do not resign.
To do this, it is necessary for 15% of the parliamentary party to submit letters of no confidence to the 1922 committee, which is in fact the Human Resources department for backers.
It will take 54 letters of no confidence to trigger a secret ballot, and a simple majority is needed to win each side.
If more than 50% of Tory MPs vote to remove him, he will lose his role as party leader and be barred from running in the upcoming leadership elections.
If the leader wins more than half the vote, he remains the party’s leader and receives one-year immunity from any further vote of confidence.
If a party leader loses a vote of confidence, then MPs from across the party can be nominated as potential deputies.
The 1922 commission will determine how many nominations a member of parliament will need to appear on the ballot.
If more than two are eligible, lawmakers will vote on their preferences, leaving two final candidates, who must then seek votes from party members before being elected leader.
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