BORIS Johnson could be on the cusp of facing a no confidence vote amid suggestions that just a few more Tory MPs could tilt the balance.
As it stands, 54 letters of no confidence (representing 15% of elected Conservative MPs) would need to be submitted to the 1922 Committee to trigger such a vote.
One MP told the BBC that the number of letters sent in already could be “in the high 40s”, meaning just a handful more MPs could trigger a leadership election.
However, it is unclear whether a vote would spell the end of Johnson’s time in No 10, with no clear successor among the Conservative ranks.
Sir Graham Brady, the MP for Altrincham and Sale West and the chair of the 1922 Committee, is the only person who knows definitely how many letters have been sent in.
According to Sky News, 35 Tory MPs have now publicly questioned the Prime Minister's position, while 24 Tories have publicly submitted letters calling for a vote of no confidence.
On Monday, more MPs called for Johnson to go.
A spokesman for Carshalton and Wallington MP Elliot Colburn, who was only elected in 2019, confirmed he has submitted a letter calling for a vote of no confidence in Johnson’s leadership.
Meanwhile Nickie Aiken, the MP for Cities of London and Westminster, suggested Johnson should submit himself to a confidence vote to end the “speculation” over his future.
Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, and Liz Truss have all been touted as possible replacements should Johnson’s criminal behaviour finally see him kicked out of Downing Street.
However, there are concerns among the MPs who want Johnson gone that he might actually be hoping for a no-confidence vote. If he could weather the storm and beat out any competitors, Johnson would be safe from another such vote for 12 months.
It came as Number 10 failed to deny a report that Carrie Johnson hosted a second party in the Downing Street flat, where she and her husband live, on the day of the Prime Minister’s 56th birthday.
Earlier in the day on June 19 2020, Johnson was present at an impromptu gathering in the Cabinet Room, which led to him being fined by the Metropolitan Police along with his wife and the Chancellor.
The Sunday Times reported at the weekend that an unnamed aide claimed to have told Sue Gray’s investigation that they had messages showing Mrs Johnson met “several” male friends that evening, with the Prime Minister later heading up to the flat where they were gathered.
Asked about the report, a No 10 spokesman said senior civil servant Gray had made clear in her terms of reference that she would look at other allegations where there were “credible” claims that rules had been breached.
“I have seen the same reporting that you have, but I think this is covered in the terms of reference in Sue Gray’s report, where she clearly said that any other gatherings that were credible, where she received credible allegations, would be looked into," he said.
“Downing Street (staff) were given clear guidance to retain any relevant information and co-operate fully with the investigation.”
Pressure has been building on the Prime Minister as a new poll of Tory party members, conducted by the website ConservativeHome, found he was by far the most unpopular member of Cabinet.
The poll found Johnson had a net rating of -15 among Tory party members.
Party chairman Ben Elliot (-0.4) and Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross (-1.3) were the only other Conservative figures with net negative ratings among their own party’s members. Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies scored 20.8.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson now the least popular member of his own Cabinet among the Tory grassroots h/t @ConHome pic.twitter.com/OVOb2l4kwV
— James Heale (@JAHeale) May 30, 2022
Elliot has been facing questions over his concierge firm, Quintessentially, and services provided to Russian oligarchs.
Ross's own position is looking on shaky ground with members of his own team at Holyrood briefing the press that he has left their party in a "f***ing mess".
Reports in the wake of Scotland's local elections earlier this month, which saw the Tories return a net loss of 62 seats, said Ross was facing plots among his own party to have him dumped as leader.
SNP MP Mhairi Black said the polling was "utterly humiliating for flip-flopping Douglas Ross".
She went on: "Douglas Ross is going down with Boris Johnson's sinking ship.
"It's clear from these embarrassing ratings that Jacob Rees-Mogg was not alone in dismissing Ross as a lightweight. The public don't take Douglas Ross seriously after his countless U-turns and it's clear his own party members don't take him seriously either."
Truss, with a net satisfaction rating of 60.3, scored highest among the frontrunners for the leadership role. Nadhim Zahawi (below), who has also been rumoured as a possible Johnson replacement, scored 66.2.
Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, came highest overall with a net satisfaction rating of 85.
ConservativeHome editor and former Tory MP Paul Goodman said that he thought the Prime Minister was “within about ten [no-confidence letters] of a challenge”.
Goodman added: “A well-placed Minister told me on Friday that the odds of [a leadership vote] are now ‘less than evens’.”
In an effort to woo the Tory backbenchers who hold his fate in their hands, Johnson is planning to rip up scores of EU laws to try and show that his government is making the most of Brexit.
The Tories are reportedly setting up a website listing more than 1400 laws which were brought into UK law through Brussels. However, they have not yet decided which to scrap.
Reports in the i said the bulk of the laws to be cut are likely to be related to the environment, workplaces, transport, tax and health and safety, according to those involved.
