LONDON, May 26 (Reuters) – Three British Conservative lawmakers on Thursday withdrew their support for Prime Minister Boris Johnson over a scathing report detailing a series of alcohol-filled parties at 10 Downing Street. they broke the blocking rules of COVID-19.
A day after the report was released, describing a drink culture in his Downing Street office during confinements, Conservative lawmakers John Baron, David Simmonds and Stephen Hammond said they could no longer support the first minister.
Their voices add to a growing list of Conservative lawmakers who have called for Johnson’s resignation over what has been called a “partygate”, despite the Prime Minister’s repeated apologies, though not enough to provoke a vote of confidence. Read more
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Baron, first elected in 2001, said he withdrew his support because he believed Johnson had “consciously” deceived parliament – a charge the prime minister denies but is being investigated by a parliamentary committee.
“Given the scale of non-compliance with the rules at number 10, I cannot accept that the Prime Minister was not aware. Therefore, his repeated assurances to parliament that there was no non-compliance with the rules are simply not credible. “He said in a statement.
“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.”
Simmonds, who was elected in 2019, said Johnson had lost public confidence. “Consequently, the time has come for him to step down so that the new leadership can carry out the important task of the government,” he said in a statement.
More than 15 Conservative lawmakers have publicly called for Johnson’s resignation since reports of parties breaking the blockade began to drip constantly into the media. But Johnson has refused, saying he still has work to do in government.
To trigger a vote of confidence in Johnson’s leadership, 54 Conservative lawmakers in parliament must write letters asking for one from the party’s 1922 committee chairman. Former Minister Hammond said he had sent a letter.
The letters are confidential, so the president is the only person who knows how many were actually sent.
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Report by Elizabeth Piper: Edited by Kylie MacLellan and Edmund Blair
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