Former Conservative MP, Tobias Ellwood has joined those Tory MPs calling for the resignation of British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, urging a vote on his premiership.
The former minister said he has submitted a letter of no confidence in the PM, amid the ongoing investigation into lockdown parties in Downing Street.
Devon MP, Anthony Mangnall also revealed today (Wednesday, February 2, 2022) that he has done the same, criticising Mr Johnson’s “mistruths”.
At the Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs), Mr Johnson did not address questions about events held in Downing Street.
A handful of Tory MPs have publicly revealed their submission of letters to the backbench group which runs leadership contest.
At least 54 MPs need to write to the Committee Chairman, Sir Graham Brady to set up a vote on the PM’s future. But the exact number of MPs who have taken this step is not known.
Mr Johnson has struggled weeks of damaging headlines about parties held in government buildings while the UK COVID-19 restrictions were in place.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Johnson refused to confirm press reports that he was at a party in his Downing Street flat on November 13, 2020.
The gathering is one of 12 events in Downing Street and Whitehall currently under investigation by the Metropolitan Police for alleged COVID-rule breaking.
The Scottish National Party (SNP), Westminster Leader, Ian Blackford claimed Mr Johnson misled MPs in December last year (2021) when he denied being at this event.
“Surely he doesn’t need to wait for an investigation to tell us exactly where he was?” asked Mr Blackford.
Mr Johnson said processes had to be followed and he was getting on with delivering the government’s levelling recovery plan.
Chairman of Commons Defence Committee, Mr Ellwood called on the PM to “cut to the chase, to call a vote of confidence in himself,” adding that the party was on a “glide path to a very, very dark place”.
He told the media that the prime minister had not shown enough “contrition” in his Commons statement on Sue Gray’s report Monday (January 31, 2022), adding that Boris Johnson already had plenty of time to make the changes he promised.
He praised Mr Johnson’s “energy and enthusiasm” but added: “The domestic and international challenges now require a new leader and that’s why I have submitted a letter.”
Tory MP for Totnes and South Devon, Anthony Mangnall, also revealed shortly after the PMQs that he had submitted a no-confidence letter in the PM.
“At this time I can no longer support the PM. His actions and mistruths are overshadowing the extraordinary work of so many excellent ministers.”
Tory MP for Totnes and South Devon, Anthony Mangnall said in s Tweet
Another former minister in an interview on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, said they had resolved to submit a no-confidence letter, but they are waiting until they are sure he would lose the subsequent vote.
Under Tory party leadership rules, Mr Johnson would be safe from another challenge for a year if he won a no-confidence vote in his leadership.
The former minister added that colleagues “didn’t want to jump the gun” and then be “powerless to act for another year. The end is almost inevitable. The question is – is now the right time to put a letter in?”
Meanwhile, Downing Street has been silent on reports of Mr Johnson’s further attendance at some of the events under investigation by Metropolitan police.
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