Tobias Ellwood MP, Minister for Defence People and Veterans at the Defence Medical Rehab Centre
(Picture: PA)Boris Johnson on Wednesday lost the support of another senior Tory MP as reports suggested he attended more of the gatherings being investigated by police than previously thought.
Former minister Tobias Ellwood said it was “just horrible” for Tory MPs to have to defend the situation to the public and confirmed he would be submitting a formal letter stating he has no confidence in Mr Johnson.
It follows claims that the Prime Minister was reportedly at a prosecco-fuelled leaving do for a No 10 aide on January 14 last year, when strict Covid measures banning socialising were in place. The event, which was uncovered by senior civil servant Sue Gray’s investigation, is one of 12 alleged to have taken place in Downing Street and across Whitehall now under police investigation.
Mr Ellwood said that it was “time to resolve” the “partygate” scandal as he called on Mr Johnson to resign.
The chairman of the defence select committee admitted the revelations were dragging the Conservative Party into an “ugly place”. He said he would today be submitting a letter of no confidence to the party’s committee of backbench MPs.
“I don’t think the Prime Minister realises how worried colleagues are in every corner of the party, backbenchers and ministers alike, that this is all only going one way and will invariably slide towards a very ugly place,” Mr Ellwood told Sky News.
“I believe it’s time for the Prime Minister to take a grip of this. He himself should call a vote of confidence rather than waiting for the inevitable 54 letters to be eventually submitted. It’s time to resolve this completely so the party can get back to governing. I will be submitting my letter today.”
Mr Ellwood is one of 10 Tory MPs who have publicly called for Mr Johnson to resign and said they have submitted letters to the 1922 Committee to force a leadership election.
Tory MP for Waveney Peter Aldous Tuesday night also called on Mr Johnson to go and said he had submitted his letter.
MP Sir Charles Walker has announced he won’t seek re-election because he is “fed up with the abuse on a daily basis” and wants to avoid being part of the “soap opera” in Westminster.
But Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove on Wednesday defended the Prime Minister’s record in office.
He told LBC: “No one works harder in Government than the Prime Minister and I’ve seen him during the course of the pandemic go line-by-line through our delivery programme for vaccination in order to make sure that there were jabs in arms.”
Mr Johnson attended a “bring your own booze” garden party on May 20, 2020 and his birthday celebration in Downing Street on June 19 that year when rules banned large gatherings.
He has also been accused of being present at a “Winner Takes It All” Abba “victory party” held by his wife Carrie Johnson and her friends to celebrate his chief adviser Dominic Cummings being forced out of his job.
A witness told Sue Gray the Prime Minister was seen going upstairs towards the party in his flat on November 13, 2020, the Telegraph reported.
Scotland Yard is probing the events, but the Prime Minister has refused to confirm whether he will resign if fined by police for breaching Covid rules.
It comes as the Government faces criticism for wasting more than £8 billion on personal protective equipment. Ministers paid hugely over the odds for some PPE, while much of it was deemed faulty or not used before its sell-by date.
Mr Gove said: “There was a global race to get PPE... we were securing what was required for those at the frontline. I don’t make any apology for that.”
The revelation comes just a week after Tory Theodore Agnew quit over the Government’s failure to tackle Covid loan fraud and writing off of £4.3 billion.
The total amount lost is more than the £12 billion expected to be raised by April’s national insurance tax hike, which is going ahead as the country faces a cost of living crisis over spiralling food and energy costs.
