Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries has admitted that “regicide runs in the veins” of the Conservatives, as Boris Johnson fights to save his premiership from a growing backbench rebellion.
The culture secretary also suggested anti-Brexit Tory MPs were behind a plot to get rid of Mr Johnson as he struggles to recover from the Partygate scandal.
However, Ms Dorries also claimed the vast majority of backbenchers were still behind Mr Johnson – suggesting that “97 per cent” of Tory MPs backed him.
“There are a small number of voices, whether they are people who were ardent supporters of Remain, who see this as their last opportunity to reverse Brexit,” Ms Dorries told Times Radio.
Asked whether the moves against Mr Johnson were a “Remainer plot”, Ms Dorries said: “There are a number of reasons actually, it’s not just one, but that certainly is at play with a group.”
The minister said “regicide runs in the veins of my party” – before insisting that attempts to overthrow the leader was limited to “a small group of MPs”.
Ex-minister Nick Gibb has become the 14th Tory MP to publicly call on Mr Johnson to resign, though the number of MPs to have submitted no-confidence letters to 1922 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady is believed to be higher.
Tories now keen to see an end of Mr Johnson’s premiership include some red wall MPs from the 2019 intake, some former ministers and those passed over for positions, the “one nation” caucus opposed to Brexit – as well as some Brexiteers who have lost faith in his leadership.
But Ms Dorries claimed those moving against Mr Johnson were “the same names that we continually keep cropping up” and were limited to “safe seats”.
She added: “Some of those same names tried to get David Cameron out and tried to get Theresa May out and are now trying to get Boris Johnson and the truth is no prime minister would please any of those.”
The culture secretary told Sky News: “There are 365 Conservative MPs. And I can promise you that the vast, vast majority of those MPs, 97% of them will be out in their constituencies today, who are delivering on the promises they made to their constituents and Boris Johnson has made to them.”
It comes amid reports the PM was pictured holding a beer in a photo from his 2020 birthday gathering. Mr Johnson also continues to come under pressure over his discredit claim that Sir Keir Starmer “failed” to prosecute Jimmy Savile.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak raising eyebrows by criticising the PM’s Savile slur – saying he would not have made the discredited claim.
Ms Dorries said Mr Sunak was “entitled to his views”. But she defended Mr Johnson’s remarks by insisting it was right for the Labour leader to have acknowledged the failure of the Crown Prosecution Service when he was head of the body.
“What I would say is that when you lead an organisation, you are responsible, the responsibility lands on your desk for what happens within that organisation when you’re leading it,” she said.
Health secretary Sajid Javid also appeared to criticise the prime minister over the smear attack, saying Sir Keir deserved “absolute respect” for the job he did as director of public prosecutions.
But Ms Dorries told Sky News Mr Javid was “quite shocked” at how his remarks had been reported, adding: “I spoke to Sajid Javid last night and he reassured me that he is 100% behind the prime minister. What you’re reporting about Sajid Javid turning his back on the prime minister is not true.”
Earlier on Saturday, Ms Dorries refused to say how much she “communicates” with Mr Johnson in an awkward interview with BBC Breakfast.
She also appeared to mix up two Tory MPs with similar names – Martin Vickers and Matt Vickers – while defending Mr Johnson on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
