Four other Conservative MPs have called on Boris Johnson to resign after reading Sue Gray’s highly condemned report, with one saying the prime minister had lost support for “consciously deceiving Parliament” with his denials. non-compliance.
Stephen Hammond is the latest Conservative to urge Mr Johnson to resign, saying he had sent a letter of censure to the Prime Minister.
In a statement on his website, the Wimbledon MP said he “cannot and will not defend the indefensible” after seeing Mrs Gray’s report, adding that she does not believe her party can regain public confidence. with Johnson at the helm.
John Baron attacked a “shameful pattern of misconduct” at the heart of the government during the coronavirus pandemic and said that “its repeated assurances in Parliament that there was no breach of rules are simply not credible.”
Meanwhile, David Simmonds said it was “clear” that the public no longer supported Mr. Johnson said:
They were followed by Julian Sturdy, who was the first Conservative MP to ask Mr Johnson to step down after the publication of Mrs Gray’s report.
There are now 19 fund conservatives who are publicly urging him to leave and others are likely to have sent letters of censure without going public.
It looks like the Prime Minister is struggling to move from Mr Gray’s critical report to the Downing Street parties, which blamed the top 10 leader of a party culture in government during several blockades.
Ms Gray said there had been a “leadership failure” at No. 10 and Johnson told MPs she took “full responsibility” for breaking the rules.
But he said it was time to move on, and told a Downing Street news conference that his priority now was to focus on the cost of living crisis.
Conservative MPs John Baron, Julian Sturdy and David Simmonds want Boris Johnson to resign. Credit: Parliament
Rishi Sunak will announce a new support package, but it is a move that many critics say is a distraction from the Partygate scandal.
Downing Street chief of staff Steve Barclay denied ITV News that the new measures were designed to shift the focus of the saga, and told political correspondent Carl Dinnen that the government was always planning to provide more support.
“We are not in control of the timing of the Sue Gray report,” he said, adding that ministers had been waiting to see Ofgem’s guide, which said the energy price cap could rise by almost £ 1,000 in in October, before announcing new measures.
But shifting attention to the cost of living does not seem to be enough to satisfy Mr Baron, who supports Brexit, who said in a statement: “It cannot be tolerated that they are deceived conscientiously, whatever the problem. Whether or not he is the prime minister is an asset to the party or the country is less important. “
“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.”
The call of Mr. Baron for the Prime Minister to resign is being considered so significant as he is not a typical conservative rebel and has not criticized the government before.
Is the rebellion growing? Political correspondent Daniel Hewitt takes a look
Simmonds, a new MP who has represented Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner since 2019, said he had been waiting to see Sue Gray’s report before deciding whether to support the prime minister to continue leading the Conservative party.
“Having heard 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 policies enjoy the trust of the public, the Prime Minister does not.
“Consequently, it is time for him to step down so that the new leadership can carry out the important task of government to ensure that our people and our country prosper.”
Another Conservative MP, Mr Sturdy, called on the MP to resign after a quick YouGov poll on Wednesday suggested that three out of five Britons wanted Mr Johnson to resign.
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Sturdy, York’s foreign MP, said: “It’s in the public interest for him to resign.”
Former aide Angela Richardson said the scandal has eroded public confidence in politicians and “reflects badly on all of us.”
“I am clear that if this had been a report on my leadership, I would have resigned,” the Conservative MP wrote online.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons that the report “exposed rot” at number 10 and called on Conservative MPs to tell Mr Johnson “the game is over” and that it is “time to do it” the suitcases”.
What conservatives are publicly asking Boris Johnson to resign?
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Roger Gale
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Mark Harper
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Steve Baker
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Pere Aldous
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Will Wragg
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Julian Sturdy
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Joan Baró
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David Simmonds
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Nigel Mills
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Craig Whittaker
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Neil Hudson
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David Davis
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Aaron Bell
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Tobias Ellwood
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Caroline Nokes
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Team Loughton
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Anthony Mangnall
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Nick Gibb
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Stephen Hammond
What is the process for the conservatives in the back bank to oust their leader?
Conservative MPs can force a censure vote on their leader if they do not resign.
To do this, 15% of the parliamentary party must send letters of censure to the 1922 Committee, which is effectively a human resources department for deputies.
It would take 54 letters of censure to activate a secret ballot, with a simple majority needed for either side to win.
If more than 50% of Conservative MPs vote to remove him, he will lose his role as party leader and will be banned from running in the next leadership election.
If the leader wins more than half of the votes, then he remains the party leader and is granted one-year immunity from any other vote of confidence.
If a party leader loses a vote of confidence, deputies from across the party may be appointed as possible replacements.
The 1922 Committee will determine how many nominations a Member will need to appear on the ballot.
If more than two apply, MPs will vote on their preference, leaving two final candidates who will then have to ask for votes from party members before being elected leaders.