He acknowledged that Mr Johnson had made “a really important start” to culture reform on Downing Street, including a full overhaul of senior staff, but alluded to “a lot of anger” at his own party.
Pressed if he had sent a letter, Mr. Penrose replied, “Excuse me, I’m still thinking about it, so I’ll go to sleep. But it’s because he hasn’t put the problem to bed in one way or another.”
“There is a lot of concern about whether or not he has been telling the truth in Parliament, for example. This is another example of something that has not been answered.
“It could take months, and one of the reasons I’m so angry and frustrated is that I was hoping we could have a crystallized response now, and we didn’t get it.”
On Thursday night, it was reported that Philip Dunne, Ludlow’s Conservative MP, said Johnson had lost the “benefit of the doubt” but failed to call for his resignation.
Three Conservative MPs send letters in one day
Meanwhile, Hammond, the Wimbledon MP since 2005, whose majority is only 628 votes, said he could not “defend the indefensible” and doubted Johnson could regain public confidence.
“Since December 9, I have been critical of the Prime Minister’s behavior and the culture at number 10,” he wrote on his website. “All I can do as a Member of Parliament is talk and send a letter.”
Baron, the veteran MP for Basildon and Billericay, said Mrs Gray’s report painted a “shameful pattern of misconduct” and that “the most serious charge against the Prime Minister is to deceive Parliament consciously “.
“Having always said that I would take into account all the evidence available before deciding, I am afraid that the Prime Minister will no longer enjoy my support; I can no longer give him the benefit of the doubt.”
In comments made for the first time in the Times, Mr. Simmonds, MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, said: “It is clear that while the government and our policies enjoy public confidence, the Prime Minister does not.”
It is currently unknown whether Mr. Baron or Mr. Simmonds sent letters of censure to Sir Graham.