Boris Johnson is resisting calls from his own Tories to resign as British Prime Minister over a lockdown party scandal that has engulfed his government.
Mr Johnson is under increasing pressure and facing a possible leadership challenge in the coming weeks as more MPs from his Conservative Party handed in letters of no-confidence in him on Wednesday, when there was also a shock defection from a Conservative MP to the Labour Opposition.
The day before, Mr Johnson had yet again apologised for a "bring your own booze" party held at No 10 Downing Street in May 2020 which he had attended, saying that no one had warned him the event may have broken the strict COVID-19 rules at the time.
The most striking revolt came from former minister David Davis in the House of Commons, when he told Mr Johnson to "go" during a raucous Prime Minister's Questions.
"I expect my leaders to shoulder responsibility for the actions they take," Mr Davis, the former Brexit minister, told parliament.
"Yesterday, he did the opposite of that."
He then quoted former Conservative MP Leo Amery, who urged the then-prime minister Neville Chamberlain to resign over his handling of the start of World War II:
"You have sat there for too long for the good you have done.
Mr Johnson, who had earlier batted away questions from the Opposition asking him to resign, replied that he did not know what quotation Mr Davis was referring to
"I think I've told this house repeatedly throughout this pandemic, I take full responsibility for everything done in this government and throughout the pandemic," Mr Johnson said.
Opposition lash 'ridiculous' Johnson
Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer also targeted Mr Johnson's excuse.
"As he waded through the empty bottles and platters of sandwiches — he didn't realise it was a party?" Sir Keir asked.
"Does the Prime Minister realise how ridiculous that sounds?
For a leadership challenge to be triggered, at least 54 of the 360 Conservative MPs would need to write letters of no-confidence in Mr Johnson to the party's 1922 Committee of backbenchers.
British media has reported at least 20 have been handed in, but that could increase once a report into the Downing Street parties is released.
One Conservative MP who handed in a letter was Christian Wakeford, the member for Bury South in England's north-west, shortly before he defected to the rival Labour party on Wednesday morning.
Mr Wakeford did not mince words when describing Mr Johnson's premiership, saying that he and the Conservative Party "have shown themselves incapable of offering the leadership and government this country deserves".
