Boris Johnson
(Picture: PA Wire)A former cabinet minister has warned Boris Johnson that more letters calling for his resignation are coming and he faces “a death of 1000 cuts” unless he quits.
At least 13 MPs are believed to have sent letters of no confidence in the Prime Minister to the 1922 Committee over the “partygate” scandal.
Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady must reach 54 letters before forcing a leadership contest.
Another five MPs are reportedly set to hand in their letters in the coming days as fears grow in Number 10 over an alleged plot to bring down Mr Johnson.
David Davis, who told the Prime Minister to “for God’s sake, go” in the Commons two weeks ago, said on Thursday he would be talking to his local Conservative association about the Prime Minister’s future.
The former cabinet minister has previously insisted he wants Mr Johnson to resign before the threshold of no confidence letters is reached.
He told Times Radio: “A vote of confidence in him as leader of the party does require me at least formally to talk to my association, which I’m going to do and I will recommend that we send in a letter but I’ll take their views first.”
He added: “My concern is this would be a death of 1,000 cuts over months or even over a year, which is what has happened with every previous leader of the Conservative party who’s been removed.
“It’s taken a long, long time. And in that time the country’s partially paralysed.”
But one Tory MP told the Standard there is unlikely to be a flood of letters coming into the 1922 Committee in the coming days.
“I think a lot of people think doing anything at this stage is premature,” they said. “Let’s see what happens with the Met investigation.”
In what has been dubbed the “Cream Tea Coup”, two Devon MPs joined a trio who demanded that the Prime Minister quit yesterday.
Sir Gary Streeter, Anthony Mangnall and Tobias Ellwood all said they were submitting letters of no confidence in Mr Johnson’s leadership.
It comes as Penny Mordaunt blasted the “stupidity” of the current Conservative leadership.
The Trade Minister, who has been tipped as a dark horse in a potential leadership race, is one of the most senior members of the government to publicly criticise Mr Johnson.
In a letter seen by The Guardian, she told a constituent: “Like you I am shocked at the stupidity of what has taken place against a backdrop of sacrifice and discipline from the country.
“As well as the issues Gray is looking at, I want to be assured of proper oversight, competence and integrity in how Downing Street is operating. It is critical to a functioning government and the trust of the public.”
James Cleverly on Thursday defended the Prime Minister and warned against a Conservative leadership battle at a time of tension between Ukraine and Russia.
The Foreign Office minister pointed to Mr Johnson’s record, including securing Brexit and achieving a landslide election win for the Tories in 2019.
Mr Johnson has vowed to fight on in the job, saying he will remain “for as long as I have the privilege and honour”.
