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The Prime Minister is in “real trouble” and could face a vote of confidence as early as next week, Lord William Hague said on Tuesday.
The former Conservative leader said “respected” Conservative MPs had begun to turn their backs on Boris Johnson after the release of the party’s doorstep report.
Lord Hague added that the Conservative Party was “very concerned” about the content of Sue Gray’s report, which found Mr Johnson presiding over a culture of alcohol that developed in Downing Street during the pandemic.
“Excessive” alcohol was consumed at the illegal rallies and “disrespect” was shown to the cleaning and security staff, the senior official stated.
“I think Boris Johnson has real problems here,” Lord Hague told Times Radio.
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He said some lawmakers may want to wait until after the by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton on June 23 before deciding on Johnson’s future as prime minister, but others would like to force a leadership vote sooner. .
“A lot of people misinterpret last week’s events because it means the problems are over, Boris is free,” he said.
“And that’s not really the Conservative Party’s mood, which is very, very concerned about the content of this report.
“I think the Conservative Party will have to resolve this in one way or another because to be an effective party, they must either unite behind the Prime Minister they have or they must decide to get him out. And I think they are moving forward, either next week or towards the end of June, moving towards a vote. ”
Johnson will face a vote of confidence if 54 Conservative MPs write to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 fund committee, to call for one.
The Prime Minister received another blow on Tuesday as another Conservative MP confirmed that he had sent a letter of censure to Sir Graham.
Carlisle MP John Stevenson said a vote of confidence was “the only way we have to draw a line under all the recent issues surrounding the number 10 activities”.
Seventeen Conservative MPs have now confirmed that they have written to Sir Graham, while another 20 have called for Mr Johnson’s resignation but have not confirmed any letter. Another 32 Conservative MPs have publicly criticized Mr Johnson for the party scandal.
Bromley and Chislehurst MP Sir Bob Neill has confirmed that he has filed a letter of censure over the “very strong condemnation of a leadership failure” described in Mrs Gray’s report.
He said: “I think history generally shows that not everyone, for perfectly solid reasons, will want to talk about whether they have sent a letter. Only Sir Graham knows this and is scrupulous in maintaining complete confidentiality until such time. produce a trigger. figure approved “.
Four London MPs, Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon), Elliot Colburn (Carshalton), David Simmonds (Ruislip, North-wood and Pinner) and Sir Bob, have so far called on Mr Johnson retiring.
London Minister Paul Scully said “the Prime Minister has my support and I would resign from the government if I did not”. Lichfield MP Michael Manufacturer also said he supported Mr. Johnson. “Comrades who are working to oust Boris as prime minister because of perceived unpopularity or Brexit are self-destructive,” he said.
But on Tuesday, former Cabinet Secretary Andrea Leadsom criticized Johnson for a “failure” of leadership, but did not confirm whether she had sent a letter of censure.
In a statement to his constituents in south Northamptonshire, he said: “There have been unacceptable leadership failures that cannot be tolerated and are the responsibility of the Prime Minister.
“Each of my fellow Conservative MPs and I must now decide what is the right course of action that will restore confidence in our government.”
Meanwhile, a new poll on Tuesday showed Labor had increased its lead over the Conservatives by two points since the release of the Gray report.
The Savanta ComRes poll shows Sir Keir Starmer’s party with 42% of the vote, an 11-point lead over Boris Johnson’s Conservatives, who fell three points to 31% and the highest recorded by pollsters since of February.