Boris Johnson has faced two more calls to resign from Conservative MPs as his attempt to move on from the Partygate scandal after Sue Gray’s report was undone.
Backbenchers John Baron and David Simmonds, who is a neighbor of the Prime Minister’s constituency in west London, said they had lost confidence in him after an investigation confirmed a series of blockade parties in Downing Street.
No. 10 Chief of Staff Steve Barclay on Thursday insisted that only a “small minority” of people working in the building had broken the rules, adding that Johnson was unaware of many of the most blatant details. which arose on Wednesday. including wine spilled on the walls, vomiting and a fight.
He said there was a distinction between the alcohol-powered outing attended by two Johnson at No. 10 and some of the most strenuous events that took place, including the night before Prince Philip’s funeral, which lasted until 4 in the morning.
“There is a difference between the applicable labor exemption that allowed people to work long hours on Downing Street, and we are talking about the behavior of a small minority of people, often when the Prime Minister was not in the building. or at night, “Barclay told BBC Radio 4 ‘s Today program.
He said Johnson thought abandonment was permissible because staff worked “close by for long hours” and that the prime minister “went to events for a short period of time during the working day.”
Barclay defended Johnson’s decision not to resign in light of the report or to be fined by police, saying the prime minister had already “taken action” by making “significant changes” to the structure. of number 10, including incorporation as chief of staff.
When LBC was asked why Johnson did not investigate the parties after it was discovered that some attendees broke his son’s swing in the Downing Street garden, Barclay said it was a “good question.”
But John Baron, the Conservative MP for Basildon and Billericay in Essex since 2001 and a former shadow minister, said he did not believe Johnson was unaware of the “shameful pattern of misconduct during the pandemic, as the rest of us to Covid regulations “. .
“A fundamental principle of our constitution is that we can trust that the answers we receive in parliament are truthful and accurate,” Baron said in a statement.
“Parliament is the heartbeat of our nation. It cannot be tolerated to be deceived consciously, whatever the problem. Whether or not the prime minister is an asset to the party or the country is of the utmost importance. “
The MP added that the Prime Minister “no longer enjoys my support”, but did not say whether he had sent a letter of censure, 54 of which are needed to provoke a vote on Johnson’s leadership.
Simmonds, MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, said it had become clear that “while the government and our policies enjoy public confidence, the Prime Minister does not.”
He added: “It is time for him to step down so that the new leadership can carry out the important work of the government to ensure that our people and our country prosper.”
His speech follows the call of another Conservative MP, Julian Sturdy, who has raised the number of people publicly demanding Johnson’s resignation since Gray’s report was published to three.
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Labor argued that the Partygate scandal demonstrated more fundamental issues of trust.
Lisa Nandy, the shadow level secretary, told BBC Breakfast: “The reason Partygate is important, the reason why Prime Minister’s behavior is important, is because if you can’t trust in him in this, if you can’t trust a word that says … and that’s very clear from yesterday: how can you trust him when he says that he will intervene and help people with what is now a crisis for the most businesses and families?
“How can you trust him when he says he will resist Russian aggression in Ukraine?
“Trust is the glue that holds the political system together, and when that trust disappears, the whole system collapses, which is why what’s happening right now with Partygate is so devastating to most people. this country “.
Johnson is still facing an investigation by the Commonwealth Privileges Committee as to whether he tricked parliament into denying on several occasions that any rule at number 10 had been breached.
Chris Bryant, a Labor MP who resigned to lead the investigation, said the committee could gather evidence, including cleaners and security staff mentioned in the Gray report that they had cleaned wine stains or they have stumbled upon evening meetings. .