Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Steph Brawn

Tory MPs call for Boris Johnson to quit after Sue Gray report

Boris Johnson is coming under increasing pressure from his own backbenchers to quit as Prime Minister

THREE more Tory MPs have called for Boris Johnson to quit in the wake of the damning Sue Gray report.

John Baron, David Simmonds, and Stephen Hammond have withdrawn their support for the Prime Minister after the report uncovered a swathe of boozy parties that took place in Downing Street during the Covid lockdown. 

Baron, an MP since 2001, said civil servant Gray's findings as well as the Met Police investigation into parties "paint a shameful pattern of misbehaviour during the pandemic as the rest of us kept to the Covid regulations". 

Simmonds, MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, said it was "clear that while the government and our policies enjoy the confidence of the public, the Prime Minister does not".

Wimbledon MP Hammond said he could not "defend the indefensible" and would submit a letter of no confidence to the 1922 Committee.

In a statement, he said: "The Sue Gray Report was published yesterday. Its conclusions were damning for the Prime Minister, the Civil Service, and were critical of the activities and culture that existed in Number 10 whilst the rest of the country followed the Covid guidelines.

"I have said consistently throughout I cannot and will not defend the indefensible. I am struck by a number of my colleagues who were really concerned that it's almost impossible for the PM to say I want to move on, as we cannot move on without regaining public trust and I am not sure that’s possible in the current situation.

"Since December 9, I have been critical of the Prime Minister’s behaviour and the culture that existed in Number 10. All I can do as a backbencher is speak out and submit a letter."

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said on Wednesday Boris Johnson should resign but only after the war in Ukraine is over

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.