Thursday 2 June 2022 10:37 PM Chaos in the Tory rebel ranks with calls for them to WITHDRAW letters of ... trends now
Nearly 30 Tory MPs have now called for Boris Johnson to go, or publicly moved to trigger a confidence vote over his leadership, as he seeks to weather the fallout from the partygate scandal.
The Prime Minister was fined once by police investigating Covid rule-busting events at the heart of Government, for attending a gathering in Downing Street on his 56th birthday.
Mr Johnson, his wife Carrie and the Chancellor all apologised in April after the Metropolitan Police handed them fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for the party in the Cabinet Room on June 19 2020.
The PM is under increasing pressure from Tory colleagues to consider his position in the wake of senior civil servant Sue Gray's pivotal partygate report, which cited 'failures of leadership and judgment in No 10 and the Cabinet Office'.
A total of 28 Conservative MPs have so far said Mr Johnson should go, or declared they have written to the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, calling for a confidence vote.
Here is a round-up of all of those MPs and what they have said on the matter.
Craig Whittaker
The Calder Valley MP said during a Facebook Q&A on April 13 that he felt both Mr Johnson and Rishi Sunak should step down.
According to the Halifax Courier, Mr Whittaker said: 'I not only think that the Prime Minister should resign but I also think that Rishi Sunak should resign as well.'
The MP said he would not be submitting a letter to the 1922 Committee of backbench Tories, saying he expected the Prime Minister would win the vote which would detract from the Government's 'day-to-day' business.
Caroline Nokes
The former immigration minister told ITV's Peston programme on January 12: 'Regretfully, he looks like a liability and I think he either goes now or he goes in three years' time at a general election.'
In an opinion piece in The Guardian in April, she stated that she had submitted a letter of no confidence to Sir Graham.
Anthony Mangnall
The Totnes MP, who entered Parliament in 2019, criticised Mr Johnson's 'actions and mistruths' in a social media post, as he confirmed he had joined colleagues in calling for a confidence vote.
He tweeted on February 2: 'Standards in public life matter. At this time I can no longer support the PM. I have submitted a letter of no confidence.'
Nigel Mills
The Amber Valley MP said Mr Johnson should leave his post on April 13.
Asked if he thought the PM's position was untenable, he told the PA news agency: 'Yeah, I think for a prime minister in office to be given a fine and accept it and pay it for breaking the laws that he introduced... is just an impossible position.'
It is unclear if he has submitted a letter to Sir Graham.
Tobias Ellwood
The chairman of the Commons Defence Committee said the Prime Minister had lost his support, and urged him to 'call a vote of confidence rather than waiting for the inevitable 54 letters to be eventually submitted'.
Telling Sky News it was 'horrible' for MPs to have to defend partygate, he confirmed on February 2 that he would be presenting his letter to the 1922 Committee.
Sir Gary Streeter
In a statement on his website on February 2, Sir Gary said he had submitted a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister.
The South West Devon MP said: 'I cannot reconcile the pain and sacrifice of the vast majority of the British public during lockdown with the attitude and activities of those working in Downing Street.'
Peter Aldous
Confirming he had sent a letter to Sir Graham, the Waveney MP tweeted on February 1: 'After a great deal of soul-searching, I have reached the conclusion that the Prime Minister should resign.'
Mr Aldous said he had 'never taken such action before' but he believed it was 'in the best interests of the country' for a change at the top.
Mark Harper
Former Tory chief whip Mark Harper confirmed in a tweet on April 19 that he had written to Sir Graham calling for a confidence vote.
In his letter, the MP for Forest of Dean said that as Mr Johnson had received a FPN, he had concluded that he was unable to deliver the 'principled leadership' the country needed.
David Davis
The former Brexit secretary confronted Mr Johnson at Prime Minister's Questions on January 19, telling his party leader: 'You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. In the name of God, go.'
It is unclear if he has submitted a letter to the committee.
Steve Baker
Tory former minister Steve Baker said he had been tempted to 'forgive' the Prime Minister for breaking Covid lockdown rules but conceded that possibility for him was now 'gone'.
He told MPs on April 21: 'The Prime Minister now should be long gone...the Prime Minister should just know the gig's up.'
It is not known if Mr Baker has written to Sir Graham.
William Wragg
The chairman of the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee told BBC Radio 4's PM programme in January that Mr Johnson's position had become 'untenable'.
On April 21, he told MPs it was the aftermath of former Government press spokeswoman Allegra Stratton's resignation which led him to submit a no-confidence letter.
Tim Loughton
The former children's minister told constituents in a Facebook post on January 15 that he had 'regretfully come to the conclusion that Boris Johnson's position is now untenable'.
It is unclear whether he has submitted a letter to Sir Graham.
Andrew Mitchell
In an intervention after Mr Johnson's statement to the House of Commons in the wake of the update on the Gray inquiry on January 31, the former Cabinet minister told the No 10 incumbent he 'no longer enjoys my
