Nigel Adams has become the latest Boris Johnson ally to trigger a by-election by dramatically quitting as a Tory MP.
The surprise move came less than 24 hours after Johnson himself, as well as Nadine Dorries, both announced they were leaving parliament with immediate effect.
It is yet another blow for Rishi Sunak - Johnson’s arch-nemesis - who now faces a battle to prevent the Conservatives descending into a full-blown civil war.
Adams, a former Cabinet Office minister, announced his decision on Twitter.
The Selby and Ainsty MP said: “I’ve today informed the chief whip that I will be standing down as a Member of Parliament with immediate effect.
“It has been an honour to represent the area where I was raised, educated and I want to thank my constituents for their wonderful support since 2010.”
Adams, who was re-elected in 2019 with a majority of 20,137 over Labour, had announced last year that he planned to stand down at the next election.
But his decision to go now is another headache for Sunak, who is already reeling from yesterday’s announcements by Dorries and Johnson.
It means the Tories face having to fight three by-elections in the weeks ahead, at a time when the PM is still trying to repair the government’s battered reputation following the premierships of Johnson and Liz Truss.
Labour are confident of taking Johnson’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip, where the Tories have a majority of 7,210, while the Lib Dems are targeting Dorries’s Mid-Bedfordshire constituency, despite the Conservatives’ hefty 24,664 majority.
Adams’s shock announcement also raises the possibility that it is part of a concerted effort by Johnson and his allies to de-stabilise Sunak’s leadership.
The former prime minister, who resigned in disgrace last year, yesterday rewarded dozens of supporters and former aides with gongs, including a knighthood for Jacob Rees-Mogg and a damehood for Priti Patel.