Revolt by Tory MPs growing as three more tell Johnson to quit

Senior Conservative Tobias Ellwood was first yesterday to announce he had submitted a formal letter calling for a vote of no confidence in the prime minister as he hit out at the “horrible” situation of having to defend Downing Street.

Anthony Mangnall, who entered Parliament in 2019, followed by criticising Mr Johnson’s “actions and mistruths” as he said he had also submitted his letter to the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers.

Then came longstanding MP Sir Gary Streeter, who said he had taken the same step because he “cannot reconcile the pain and sacrifice” of the vast majority of the public with the “attitude and activities” of those in Downing Street.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries described the Tory MPs as “selfish”, attempting to dismiss them as “a handful of egos” who “want to make it all about them”.

The fierce ally of the prime minister tweeted: “It’s selfish, doing Labours (sic) work and it’s really not helping their constituents.”

But the trickle of letters to 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady came as reports suggested the prime minister attended more of the gatherings being investigated by police than previously thought.

The Daily Telegraph reported Mr Johnson was seen heading up to his Downing Street flat on the night it hosted a gathering being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.

The prime minister is also said to have spoken at two more leaving dos at the centre of Scotland Yard inquiries.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Johnson again refused to say whether he had been at the alleged party in his flat, telling MPs “the process must go on”.

Downing Street later told reporters that Met officers have not yet been in contact with the prime minister about a potential police interview regarding the alleged coronavirus rule-breaking in No 10.

Mr Ellwood, a former minister who chairs the Commons Defence Committee, used an interview yesterday to publicly state he has lost confidence in Mr Johnson.

“This is just horrible for all MPs to continuously have to defend this to the British public,” he told Sky News.

“The government’s acknowledged the need for fundamental change, culture, make-up, discipline, the tone of Number 10, but the strategy has been one, it seems, of survival, of rushed policy announcements like the Navy taking over the migrant Channel crossings.”

He suggested Mr Johnson should “take a grip” of the situation and call a vote of confidence in himself.

“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 added.

Mr Mangnall, who represents Totnes, joined the rebel ranks yesterday afternoon, tweeting: “Standards in public life matter. At this time I can no longer support the PM.”

South West Devon MP Sir Gary, who first entered the Commons in 1992, said he had made his decision following Ms Gray’s initial assessment in her update published on Monday.