A top Tory is ready to quit a flagship Conservative body over Boris Johnson ’s failure to take tyranny and human rights seriously.
Long-standing deputy chair of the party’s Human Rights Commission Benedict Rogers, 47, is furious the PM has refused to appoint a new chairman since the post became vacant more than a year ago.
And he has drafted a letter of resignation to Mr Johnson seen by the Sunday Mirror.
In it he says: “The failure to appoint suggests a lack of seriousness in addressing the need to fight tyranny and defend liberty.
“I’m deeply troubled the current Conservative leadership no longer believes in the Conservative values of freedom, human rights, the rule of law and democracy.”
Our revelation will deeply embarrass the PM as he claims to be backing all four in his head to head with Russian president Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine.
The Commission was founded 17 years ago by former Cabinet minister Dr Liam Fox and Mr Rogers has been running the organisation as deputy chair ever since.
The Commission has produced hard-hitting reports on human rights abuses in Russia, India, Myanmar, Eritrea, North Korea and Afghanistan.
Probes into Chinese Communist language hubs in British universities and forced organ harvesting in China led to Beijing ordering a ban on Mr Rogers visiting Hong Kong.
In January 2021 Tory MP Fiona Bruce stepped down as chair after the PM appointed her as his special envoy for religious freedom.
Former Children’s minister Tim Loughton, 59, was nominated for the job but has heard nothing from the PM. He has also been sanctioned by China.
Mr Loughton is a fierce critic of Mr Johnson’s rule-busting lockdown parties and has called on the PM to quit describing his position as “untenable.”
But Mr Loughton is not convinced that is the reason he has not been giving the job.
He said: “I don’t know what’s behind this. But it may be more cock-up than conspiracy.
“Either way this is clearly not the high priority it should be for the PM. And it’s sending the wrong message to China that by sanctioning us they can shut us up.”
Mr Rogers added: “Someone has got hold of this letter who shouldn’t have done. It was signalling my concern to colleagues.
“We are increasing our appeals to No10 to make the appointment and we will decide the next move after that.”
Conservative HQ said that as the Commission is not affiliated to the party the chairmanship was not a matter for the party leader.
However, every chair since the Commission was created has been appointed by the leader of the Conservative Party.
