“One or two” Tory MPs are plotting to topple Boris Johnson, Nadine Dorries declared today - but she has “no idea” who they are.
The arch-loyalist spoke out as the embattled Prime Minister faced a continuing trickle of hostile MPs from all wings of the Conservatives over Partygate.
Centre-right ‘One Nation’ Tories, 2019 ‘Red Wall’ MPs and veteran MPs are all among around 30 who have publicly demanded Boris Johnson quit.
Yet Ms Dorries insisted there “is obviously a co-ordinated campaign.”
She told BBC Radio 4’s The World At One: "I can assure you that the overwhelming number of Conservative MPs are fully behind the Prime Minister, absolutely back him.
"There is obviously, I think probably led by one or two individuals, a campaign behind the scenes to try, attempt to remove the Prime Minister for individual reasons to do with personal ambition or other reasons."
Asked who was behind the campaign, the Culture Secretary said: “I have no idea.”
She said the partygate scandal had become a "Westminster-centric, Westminster bubble issue" and the public wanted to "move on".
She added: "All I would say to my colleagues is the electorate, the public, don't vote for divided parties and I don't think we want to do both Labour and the SNP's work for them.
"The people who most want to get rid of Boris Johnson are Keir Starmer and the SNP, and I would just ask my colleagues to reflect on that and do we really want to do the opposition's work and do we really believe the public will vote for a party that they think is divided."
Asked whether Mr Johnson should echo former prime minister John Major 's tactic of telling his party to "put up or shut up" and call a vote himself, Ms Dorries described this as an "indulgence", adding: "John Major was not dealing with a war in Ukraine, there hadn't been a Covid pandemic, times were not as turbulent as they are right now."
So far, more than 25 Conservative MPs have publicly called for Mr Johnson to resign, less than half the 54 needed to trigger a confidence vote.
But other MPs will have submitted no-confidence letters in private, and about a dozen have voiced criticism of the PM without saying explicitly that he should quit.
Embattled Boris Johnson today said it would be irresponsible for him to quit over Partygate as he claimed the scandal has left officials in Government "miserable".
The Prime Minister was keen to note that he didn't eat any cake at his birthday lockdown bash which he was fined for attending alongside his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
The PM is facing mounting pressure to step down from Tory MPs who have criticised his handling of lockdown-busting parties.
Even his own ethics adviser Lord Geidt on Tuesday suggested the fixed penalty notice (FPN) he received from the Metropolitan Police may have breached the ministerial code.
Lord Geidt, the independent adviser on ministers’ interests threatened to quit unless Mr Johnson issued a public explanation over his conduct.
Asked whether he had lost the trust of the public, Mr Johnson told Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts: "I'm not going to deny the whole thing hasn't been a totally miserable experience for people in government and we've got to learn from it and understand the mistakes we made and we've got to move forward."
Top Tory backbencher Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, treasurer of the 1922 Committee said Conservative MPs need to consider which “crimes” Mr Johnson has “actually committed” before launching a leadership coup.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, said: “You’ve got to actually work out whether that new prime minister is actually going to be a positive asset to the country, compared to what you’ve got at the moment.
“As to what he’s actually committed, the crimes that he’s actually committed, and work out whether we should have a change or not.”
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has downplayed threats to the PM's leadership insisting there will be no leadership vote next week.
Mr Raab said “the Westminster bubble, village” has been whipping up speculation on how many Conservative MPs had been calling on the Prime Minister to resign.
The Justice Secretary also said questions around whether the PM broke the ministerial code “have been answered”, as he backed the PM’s assertion that he did not intend to breach Covid laws.
The Tories have unleashed a wave of policies in a bid to distract attention from their party’s row over the PM’s future.
As Lord Geidt threatened to quit, Home Secretary Priti Patel confirmed the first removal flight to Rwanda will depart from the UK in two weeks time.
Hours later reports claimed Downing Street officials were considering Covid-style press conferences on the economy, with the PM and economic advisers set to discuss economic charts on TV.
