Ian Blackford has accused the Prime Minister of “demeaning the office in the same way as Donald Trump” as he renewed calls for him to resign.
Ahead of the publication of the Sue Gray report on partygate, the SNP Westminster leader launched a personal attack on the Prime Minister.
Blackford described Johnson as: “Someone who treats being PM as a personal fiefdom. He thinks the rules don't apply. I think the man is a disgrace the way that he’s handled himself. He doesn’t recognise that responsibility and he’s behaving in a Trumpian way.”
With Westminster on tenterhooks awaiting the report by Whitehall enforcer Sue Gray, Blackford said the Downing Street partygate scandals were a distraction from the issues that ought to be at the centre of politics.
The SNP leader said: “We should be talking about Ukraine, about the cost of living crisis, but everything has been framed around this one man, the Prime Minister, he is the distraction and he needs to be gone.”
“He is demeaning the office in the same way as Donald Trump. We need to make sure that we all of us, opposition members, Conservative MPs, take on responsibilities and make sure that this man has gone from office.”
Blackford will face off against Johnson in the Commons at Prime Minister’s Question at midday on Wednesday and is expected to make a statement to MPs soon after the Sue Gray report is published.
The senior civil servant’s inquiry had been expected to be finalised this week with widespread expectation it will be made public on Wednesday or Thursday.
An indication of how damaging the report could be for the Government came when Scotland Yard chief Dame Cressida Dick announced a police inquiry was being carried out, based in part on evidence obtained by the Gray investigation.
Johnson received fulsome support on Wednesday morning from cabinet colleague Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary.
Truss, viewed as a leading candidate to succeed Johnson, said: “He’s admitted that mistakes were made and I 100 per cent support him, and want him to continue as Prime Minister.”
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