Boris Johnson still believes he is the best man for the job and will fight any no confidence vote levelled against him by Tory MPs, Downing Street has said.
No.10 said Johnson plans to lead his party into the election despite facing calls to resign over the party scandal.
Johnson faced the toughest prime minister’s questions of his premiership today, witnessing one of his own MPs, Christian Wakeford, defect to the Labour party just moments before he addressed in the Commons.
Wakeford, who was elected in 2019 for Bury South, was one of a number of Tories to openly call for the prime minister’s resignation over the party scandal engulfing his leadership.
The calls for Johnson to resign intensified following an interview with Sky News yesterday, in which the prime minister claimed that no-one had told him that an event held on May 20, 2020 broke the coronavirus regulations he installed.
The episode prompted Tory grandee and Brexiteer David Davis to stand up in the Commons and tell the PM: “In the name of God, go.”
So far seven MPs — including Wakeford— have publicly called for him to go, but there are reports that behind the scenes Tory MPs are preparing letters of no confidence to submit to Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 committee, in order to trigger a no-confidence vote.
But asked what Johnson’s plan of action was, No.10 said he would fight the next election as well as any leadership challenge mounted against him.
When asked whether Johnson could be confident of winning such a contest, his press secretary replied: “That’s getting into a hypothetical.
“Our focus is very clear in terms of delivering the ambitious agenda that we have set out, that we were elected on in 2019, and we want to continue to work together as Conservatives to deliver this.”
Conservative MPs were in open revolt yesterday evening following Johnson’s interview — his first public appearance in nearly a week — in which he denied lying about parties in Downing Street, as has been alleged by his former chief adviser, Dominic Cummings.
Asked whether Johnson was disappointed by Wakeford’s defection, Johnson’s press secretary accused the MP of helping to put Labour leader Keir Starmer in No.10.
“I think we’re obviously sorry to see a colleague who was elected by constituents who voted for a Boris Johnson-led government leave and attempt to put Keir Starmer into No 10, which will be a disaster for the country,” she said.
“What the people of Bury South and the whole country need is a strong Conservative government making tough decisions to deliver for them, and as you heard the PM say in the House the Conservative Party won Bury South on an agenda of uniting and levelling up and delivering for the public.”
Wakeford’s defection has prompted calls for there to be a by-election in Bury South, which the Tories won by 402 votes in 2019.
However, a Labour spokesman indicated Starmer believes there will be no need for a contest.
Asked if Starmer believed there was no principle requiring anyone who defects from one party to another to stand for re-election, the spokesman said: “Correct.”
Johnson’s press secretary would also not be drawn on whether there would be a by-election, saying: “I think that that is up to the constituents of Bury South.”