Conservative MP Sir Bob Neill has called for the resignation of Boris Johnson, reiterating the Prime Minister’s hopes of drawing a line under the Partygate scandal.
Bromley and Chislehurst MP in south London said he had sent a letter of censure because the series of parties breaking Westminster rules had “undermined confidence not only in the prime minister’s office but in the political process same “.
Neill said he had waited for Sue Gray’s full investigation to be concluded before a trial and that “my years as a lawyer have taught me not to reach conclusions without the most complete evidence possible.” Her announcement came hours after Assistant Minister Paul Holmes left office, citing Sue Gray’s compelling report.
Neill added: “I was equally clear that we cannot have a rule for those who work in government and a different one for everyone else. Those of us who set the rules have a particular responsibility to abide by them ourselves.
“Sue Gray’s report has highlighted a totally unacceptable pattern of behavior, spread over several months, by some working at 10 Downing Street, including non-compliance with rules that caused real pain and hardship. to many, and that the government and we as parliamentarians were telling others to live. “
Neill said he had “listened carefully to the explanations given by the Prime Minister, in parliament and elsewhere”, but “did not find his claims credible”, adding that he had submitted a letter of censure on Wednesday to the late.
A total of 54 letters are required to activate a vote of censure.
Alicia Kearns, a former critic of Johnson, whose constituency, which includes Melton Mowbray, sparked a “pig putsch” when she and other Conservative MPs talked about trying to oust the prime minister in January, issued a statement. Friday I had not yet. trust him.
In a poignant Facebook post, Kearns said the calls to move forward “are to treat with contempt and contempt” the sacrifices that other people made. She wrote: “I can only conclude that the Prime Minister’s account of events in parliament was misleading. If he did not know the culture of the festivities, it is because he did not ask the necessary questions, Last October, those around him clearly did not advise a policy of being honest and transparent with the British people. ” He did not say whether he had sent a letter of censure.
Also on Friday, Eastmes Conservative MP Holmes resigned as assistant to Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Paul Holmes, Eastleigh MP for Hampshire, resigned as Priti Patel’s aide to a “toxic culture” at number 10. Photo: UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor / PA
He said in a letter to his constituents that there was a “toxic culture that seemed to have permeated the number 10” and that “this anguish has led me to conclude that I want to continue to focus solely on my efforts to be your member. of the parliament and the campaigns that are important to you ”.
Holmes did not say whether he wanted Johnson to resign or whether he had sent a letter of censure.
Eastleigh, on the south coast of England, was occupied by the Liberal Democrats until 2015. It is typical of seats that some Conservative MPs fear that – even with a substantial majority of 15,000 like Holmes – they could change, given the voter concerns about Johnson.
The Prime Minister’s allies are trying to end the Partygate scandal, which has dominated the news agenda for six months, but there has been a steady stream of calls for Johnson’s resignation from the Conservatives’ back seats.
Stephen Hammond, a former Health Minister who has a 628 majority in his Wimbledon seat, described the Gray Report’s findings as condemnatory.
“I can’t and don’t want to defend the indefensible,” he said. “I’m struck by some of my colleagues who were really worried because it’s almost impossible for the Prime Minister to say I want to move forward, because we can’t move forward without regaining public confidence and I’m not sure that’s possible in the future. current situation. ”
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Two other Conservative MPs, David Simmonds and John Baron, said they had lost confidence in Johnson. Another, Angela Richardson, who resigned as private parliamentary secretary earlier this year, said she would have resigned if she had been in charge of Johnson.
Julian Sturdy, the Conservative MP for York Outer, called on Johnson to leave on Wednesday. The report had left him “unable to give the prime minister the benefit of the doubt,” he said.
Johnson’s anti-corruption Tsar John Penrose also revealed this week that he was still wondering whether to file a letter of censure.
“There’s a lot of concern about whether or not he’s been telling the truth in parliament,” Penrose said.