A Scottish Tory peer has urged Boris Johnson to quit over partygate and seek a fresh mandate as Conservative leader.
Lord Duncan of Springbank said the Prime Minister should resign as party leader and stand in any contest, like John Major did in the 1990s.
Johnson is under huge pressure after a report by civil servant Sue Gray criticised leadership failings over the scandal of lockdown parties at Downing Street.
His premiership could come to an end if 54 Tory MPs force a contest by sending letters to the backbench 1922 committee.
Duncan, who was a Scotland Office minister under Theresa May and is currently deputy speaker of the House of Lords, said of the Gray report:
“The report itself is quite specific in that there were a number of events not only against the rules, but against the spirit of the rules.”
“The full report will provide more detail.”
He also said the behaviour of people in Downing Street would make it “harder and harder” to get voters to comply with covid rules in the event of a new variant.
On Johnson’s future, Duncan pointed to the Major precedent, which saw the then Tory PM resign the party leadership in 1995 and force a contest he himself stood in.
Major did so while remaining Prime Minister and defeated MP John Redwood in the party vote.
The former MEP told the Record: “The real question is for the Prime Minister to consider his position.
“He has to put himself before the people who put him there in the first place. John Major did it in the 1990s.
“There is an opportunity for him to resign and fight for the leadership. He should give members a chance to endorse him.
“Something has to be done to break the deadlock.
“The alternative is to patiently watch and wait as letters are sent, one by one, to the 1922 committee.”
Asked if he could vote for Johnson in any contest, Duncan said: “I would struggle right now to give him an endorsement.”
On whether partygate was damaging for the Union, he said: “It damages almost everything it touches.”
One of the senior figures to call for Johnson to go is Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross.
Duncan said the PM’s continued presence could harm the Scottish party on the doorstep:
“How do you explain to people that you don’t have confidence in the Prime Minister but you still want people to vote for him?"
Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar said: “Lord Duncan is right to call for Boris Johnson to resign. The findings of the Gray repot are clear- Boris Johnson lied and cannot continue as Prime Minister.
“I remain frustrated that senior Conservative figures in Scotland have historically spent so much time supporting Johnson, despite knowing that he had a track record of lying and had been sacked by his previous employers for not telling the truth.
"It is time for Conservatives across the board to take action and remove this man from office.”
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
