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Analysis: How Boris Johnson’s Levelling Up Day Was Ruined By Tories Bringing Him Down

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“I mean who advised the prime minister to say this?,” Ellwood said. “We’re better than this, we must seek to improve our standards and rise above where we are today.”

A few hours later, another rebel went public, this time 2019 intake member Anthony Mangnall.

In a brutal takedown of his leader, the Totnes and South Devon MP tweeted: “At this time I can no longer support the PM. His actions and mistruths are overshadowing the extraordinary work of so many excellent ministers and colleagues. I have submitted a letter of no confidence.”

Significantly, he went public just as Gove was on his feet making a statement to MPs on levelling up.

And then, just in time for the 5pm news – which Number 10 spin doctors would have expected to be leading on levelling up – the Conservative grandee Gary Streeter announced that he too was submitting a letter of no confidence.

In a statement on his Facebook page, the South West Devon MP said: “I cannot reconcile the pain and sacrifice of the vast majority of the British public during lockdown withe the attitude and activities of those working in Downing Street.

“Accordingly, I have now submitted a letter seeking a motion of no confidence in the prime minister.”

If it all felt co-ordinated to inflict maximum damage on the PM, that’s because it was. And that should worry Team Johnson more than anything.

It took the number we know to have submitted letters to 11, but one notable rebel told HuffPost UK that there could be as many as 30 more who have done so, edging the total closer to the 54 needed to trigger a vote.

Ironically, all this happened on a day when Johnson gave one of his strongest performances at PMQs. He was on top of his brief, pugnacious and gave as good as he got from Keir Starmer.

However, he was also completely unrepentant on the Jimmy Savile row, something which has has gone down very badly with many of his backbenchers.

Last week, Labour described Johnson’s administration as a “zombie government” too busy dealing with scandal and an internal civil war to properly run the country.

As the launch of their flagship levelling up white paper turned to dust, it was hard to argue with that assessment.

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Full List Of Tory MPs Publicly Calling For Boris Johnson To Quit

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Boris Johnson’s leadership is in peril amid a drip feed of rebellious Tory MPs publicly calling on him to resign.

Despite winning a stonking majority of 80 just two years ago, Johnson’s government has been engulfed by a major scandal dubbed “partygate”.

The Metropolitan Police Service is now investigating alleged Covid-rule breaking at 12 gatherings in Downing Street and Whitehall held during the pandemic.

The crisis is prompting some fed-up Tory MPs to stick their head above the parapet to call for the prime minister to go.

HuffPost UK will keep you up-to-date with the running total of Conservative MPs who want the prime minister to resign.

Currently 11 Tory MPs are understood to have submitted a letter to the chairman of the 1922 committee.

A number of other Conservative MPs have suggested he should consider his position or been highly critical.

What Is A Letter Of No Confidence And How Many Are Needed To Trigger A Vote?

A Conservative leadership contest could be triggered if 15 per cent of MPs write to the chairman of the powerful backbench 1922 committee saying they no longer have confidence in Johnson.

This means 54 MPs must submit a letter to chairman Sir Graham Brady to spark a vote of no confidence.

No-one really knows how many MPs have submitted letters because Brady keeps them a closely guarded secret. MPs are free to publicly announce whether or not they are putting in a letter.

Tory Total: Here’s The Latest List

1) Sir Roger Gale

“It sounds to me, I am afraid, very much as though politically the prime minister is a dead man walking.”

Sir Roger Gale
Sir Roger Gale

Future Publishing via Getty Images

2) Will Wragg

“A series of unforced errors are deeply damaging to the perception of the party. The prime minister’s position is untenable.”

William Wragg MP
William Wragg MP

NurPhoto via Getty Images

3) Douglas Ross

“I don’t want to be in this position, but I am in this position now, where I don’t think he can continue as leader of the Conservatives.”

Douglas Ross
Douglas Ross

Pool via Getty Images

4) Caroline Nokes

“He looks like a liability and I think he either goes now, or he goes in three years’ time at a general election.”

Caroline Nokes
Caroline Nokes

Leon Neal via Getty Images

5) Andrew Bridgen

“With a heavy heart, I must inform you I have submitted my letter of no confidence in the prime minister.”

Andrew Bridgen
Andrew Bridgen

Future Publishing via Getty Images

6) Tim Loughton

“Boris Johnson’s position is now untenable…his resignation is the only way to bring this whole unfortunate episode to an end.”

Tim Loughton
Tim Loughton

Dan Kitwood via Getty Images

7) Andrew Mitchell

“He no longer enjoys my support.”

Andrew Mitchell
Andrew Mitchell

House of Commons – PA Images via Getty Images

8) Peter Aldous

“After a great deal of soul-searching, I have reached the conclusion that the prime minister should resign.”

Peter Aldous
Peter Aldous

Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament via PA Media

9) Tobias Ellwood

“I don’t think the prime minister realises how worried colleagues are in every corner of the party.”

Tobias Ellwood MP
Tobias Ellwood MP

ISABEL INFANTES via Getty Images

10) Anthony Mangnall

“I can no longer support the PM. His actions and mistruths are overshadowing the extraordinary work of so many excellent ministers and colleagues.”

11) Gary Streeter

“I cannot reconcile the pain and sacrifice of the vast majority of the British public during lockdown with the attitude and activities of those working in Downing Street.”

Critical Tory MPs

David Davis

“In the name of God, go.”

Charles Walker

“I would applaud if Boris Johnson resigned.”

Tom Tugendhat

“We need this to change. Now.”

Iain Duncan Smith

“This is unforgivable…the culture has become lazy and slack about what happens after hours, what happens in offices.”

Others who have been critical, include Bob Neill, Guy Opperman, Stephen Hammond, Aaron Bell and Robert Syms who said: “I am considering whether or not I ought to put in a letter.” Meanwhile 26 Tory MSPs have called for him to go.

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Tory MP Blasts Boris Johnson’s ‘Mistruths’ As He Calls For PM To Be Replaced

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Boris Johnson has lost the support of another of his own MPs, with Anthony Mangnall announcing he has submitted a letter calling for a no confidence vote in the prime minister.

Mangnall, the MP for Totnes and South Devon, tweeted on Wednesday afternoon: “Standards in public life matter.

“At this time I can no longer support the PM. His actions and mistruths are overshadowing the extraordinary work of so many excellent ministers and colleagues.I have submitted a letter of no confidence.”

Earlier today, Tobias Ellwood, the Tory chairman of the Commons defence committee, also said he would be submitting a letter.

“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,” Ellwood told Sky News.

In the wake of the revelations that parties were held in Downing Street during lockdown, 12 Conservative MPs have now called for Johnson to resign – although not all have said they have formally submitted a letter.

To mount a leadership challenge, 15% of Conservative MPs have to submit a letter to the 1922 committee. Based on the current size of the party in the Commons, this means 54 Tory MPs have to get out their pens.

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Dominic Cummings: ‘There Are Photographs Of Boris Johnson At Parties Under Police Investigation’

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Dominic Cummings has claimed there are photographs of Boris Johnson at alleged rule-breaking parties under investigation by police.

The prime minister’s former chief aide says he had spoken to people who were in No 10 on November 13, 2020, when an alleged gathering in Johnson’s Downing Street flat took place.

He went on to allege witnesses would say Abba could be heard playing from the apartment above the press office.

In a question and answer session on his paid-for blog, Cummings was asked if there were photos that would “incriminate” the PM.

He said: “Yes there are photos of the PM at parties under investigation. Ive spoken to people who say theyve seen photos of parties in the flat.”

The former adviser added: “Ive talked to people who were in no10 on 13/11 who cd hear the party in no10 after I’d left – the press office is below the flat.

“If cops talk to people there that night, therell be witnsesses (sic) who say ‘we could all hear a party with abba playing’.”

Officers are investigating 12 separate gatherings in No 10 and Whitehall during 2020 and 2021 – including three that Johnson is known to have attended and the one in the PM’s Downing Street flat – to find out whether coronavirus lockdown laws were broken.

He accused the PM of “lying” and added: “This could blow up terminally for him if lies to the cops but he wont be able to help himself other than say ‘i dont remember’ which is his default when he senses danger.”

Cummings also said there was “no excuse for self-delusions” in the Tory party about Johnson, adding “at this point the blame lies mostly with the Tory MPs”.

He said: “He’s obviously totally unfit for the job and every day he’s left their moral authority drops another notch.”

But he added: “There’s lots of blame to go around beyond them, including people in no10 who have also shown a distinct lack of moral courage…”

The Ask Me Anything (AMA) event came as the fall-out from the partygate scandal showed no sign calming.

Downing Street said Johnson will reveal if he has been hit with a fine for breaching coronavirus rules, despite the identity of people being issued with a fixed penalty notice not usually being disclosed by police.

Meanwhile, Peter Aldous became the latest Tory MP to publicly call on Johnson to resign “in the best interests of the country, the government and the Conservative Party”.

He said that he believed the Prime Minister had no intention of going voluntarily and so he had submitted a letter of the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady calling for a vote of no confidence.

The Met is examining hundreds of documents and photographs in relation to the 12 events in 2020 and 2021 held while England was under coronavirus restrictions.

The evidence was passed to the police by the investigation team led by senior official Sue Gray, whose interim report on Monday highlighted “failures of leadership and judgment” at the heart of government but did not point the finger of blame at any individuals.

Her conclusions were limited following a request by the Metropolitan Police to make only limited references to the events under investigation, leaving it to Scotland Yard to decide whether laws were broken.

In his AMA, Cummings said the chances of foreign secretary Liz Truss becoming Tory leader are “probably being overrated”.

He said the fact that “MPs are heavily influenced by polls” would “obviously benefit (Rishi) Sunak” in any future leadership race, and said Sunak pro-Brexit stance would also help him.

Cummings said Truss was “little known” and had “said a lot of stuff that will not be popular with members if/when they hear it”. If she gets to the last 2, the combination of her support for Remain and her record will be big problems for her. Her chances are probably being overrated,” he said.

He said he thought levelling up Secretary Michael Gove “probably will” run again, while on Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, he said: “He has never been in Cabinet and it is hard to imagine Tory MPs promoting someone straight to the top job who has not been in Cabinet.”

He said: “RS is obviously the front runner cos he’s way ahead in the polls and unlike Truss/Hunt/TT was pro-Brexit.

“His team conceived and executed furlough in very tough circumstances, and which was one of most popular things a politician has done in a very long time. That will be a big strength when the contest comes.”

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Tory MP Quits Government With Swipe At Boris Johnson Over Partygate Response

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During a stormy session in the Commons, Johnson was warned he has lost the support of a senior Tory MP over the handling of the allegations.

Former cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell said he had previously given his “full-throated support” to the PM over a 30-year period.

But Mitchell became the latest Tory MP to publicly question Johnson as he said: “I have to tell him he no longer enjoys my support.”

Meanwhile, Conservative former prime minister Theresa May said: “The Covid regulations imposed significant restrictions on the freedoms of members of the public. They had a right to expect their Prime Minister to have read the rules, to understand the meaning of the rules and indeed those around him to have done so too and to set an example in following those rules.

“What the Gray report does show is that Number 10 Downing Street was not observing the regulations they had imposed on members of the public, so either my right honourable friend had not read the rules or didn’t understand what they meant and others around him, or they didn’t think the rules applied to Number 10. Which was it?”

Johnson replied: “No, Mr Speaker that is not what the Gray report says, I suggest that she waits to see the conclusion of the inquiry.”

Former chief whip Mark Harper was among the Tory backbenchers to ask for Johnson to commit to publish Gray’s report in full once the police investigation has concluded.

He noted: “Many have questioned, including my constituents, the prime minister’s honesty, integrity and fitness to hold that office. In judging him he rightly asked us to wait for all the facts.”

Johnson replied: “What we’ve got to do is wait for the police to conclude their inquiries, that is the proper thing to do. People have given all sorts of evidence in the expectation that it would not necessarily be published, at that stage I will take a decision about what to publish.”

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Boris Johnson Accused Of Leading ‘Zombie Government’ Distracted By Partygate Row

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Boris Johnson has been accused of leading a “zombie government” which is too busy dealing with the “partygate” row to focus on running the country.

Labour pointed to a lack of progress on a number of bills as well as the government’s failure to deal with a raft of problems as proof that the PM has become paralysed while he waits for Sue Gray’s report into alleged lockdown parties in Downing Street and Whitehall to report back.

They said the online harms bill, which was due before Christmas, had still not been published, while the animal welfare bill is also delayed.

A new bill boosting employment rights, promised in the 2019 Queen’s Speech, had still not appeared, Labour said, while the levelling up white paper has also been repeatedly delayed.

A failure to act on surging energy bills or the dumping of sewage in rivers and lakes was further proof of a government in disarray, they said.

The House of Commons has also risen early on a number of occasions because MPs have had no business to deal with, most recently on Wednesday when it adjourned at 4.40pm.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said: “Boris Johnson and the Conservatives are failing Britain.

“This zombie government is so mired in scandal and police investigations that it cannot address the urgent issues facing our country.

“From the cost of living crisis hitting people’s pockets to the emergency in our NHS – the prime minister’s inability to govern has created gridlock in our political system.

“We are still waiting for new employment laws, legislation to protect from online harms, and a plan to address rocketing energy bills – which Labour will fix by cutting VAT and insulating our homes.

“The Tories are so compromised by the prime minister’s scandal they can’t govern at all. He needs to resign and make way for a Labour government that will offer security, prosperity and respect to the British people.”

The prime minister’s official spokesman rejected the accusation that government had ground to a halt while it waits for the Gray report and any subsequent fallout.

He said: “This is a government that is getting on with the job and is focused on the public’s priorities.”

Asked about the regular meetings Johnson is having with Conservative MPs in a bid to shore up support within the party, the spokesman said: “You would expect any prime minister to engage with his MPs and answer their questions.

“You can see from what the prime minister has done this week that it is not detracting from the work of government, both internationally in Ukraine or domestically.”

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Cricket Chief Condemned For ‘Outdated’ Comments On Black And Asian Players

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A county cricket chief has been accused of generalising in “outdated” stereotypes by suggesting Black players prefer football and rugby and the Asian community prioritise education in the latest racism storm to engulf the sport.

The chairman of Middlesex, Mike O’Farrell, was forced to apologise after a backlash to his comments made to parliament about the cricket’s lack of diversity.

Azeem Rafiq, the cricketer whose revelations lifted the lid on institutional racism in the sport, said he was staggered by O’Farrell’s views on the reasons why individuals from the Afro-Caribbean and South Asian communities drifted away from the sport, as he suggested counties did not get enough credit for the work they do.

O’Farrell told the digital, culture, media and sport select committee that 57 per cent of players at Middlesex at under-17 level were from culturally diverse backgrounds but that it became “more difficult” to keep that level of representation at older age-groups.

He said: “The football and rugby world becomes much more attractive to the Afro-Caribbean community, and in terms of the South Asian community…we’re finding that they do not want to commit necessarily the same time that is necessary to go to the next step because they prefer – not always saying they do it – they prefer to go into other educational fields where cricket becomes secondary.”

Ebony Rainford-Brent, a director at Surrey, tweeted: “These outdated views in the game are exactly why we are in this position.

“Unfortunately the decision-makers hold onto these myths. ‘The Black community only like football, and Asian community only interested in education’. Seriously, the game deserves better.”

Rafiq, who gave harrowing evidence to the same committee in November about the racial abuse he suffered at Yorkshire, said there is “a demographic of county chairs that don’t see the problem” of discrimination within cricket.

He said: “This narrative that we’ve been hearing for a long time that Asian people want to go and study is because we’ve not been made to feel welcome in our workspaces. I think it was incredibly disrespectful, but I think it just shows the wider problem.”

Rafiq also took issue with Hampshire chair Rod Bransgrove’s claim that his county was “overachieving in some areas” on equality, diversity and inclusion.

“It just shows what a long way we’ve got to go,” Rafiq told Sky Sports News.

“These people have come to a select committee and said they think that they’re overachieving, that the counties don’t get enough credit. (I’m) pretty angry.

“I think it shows that maybe the problem lies with the counties a lot more than the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board). You’ve got a demographic of county chairs that don’t see the problem.

“I found it quite staggering to hear that one of the chairs felt that they were actually overachieving in this space.

“The way (new Yorkshire chair) Lord Patel spoke came from someone who not only has suffered, but gets it, and there’s a massive willingness to confront the issue.

“Whereas what I heard from the other (county chairs) was ‘we’re great, look at us, we do so many things in the community’. And this was exactly the same language that Yorkshire used in their defence with me.”

O’Farrell issued a statement apologising for his remarks, and added: “I was aiming to make the point that as a game, cricket has failed a generation of young cricketers, in systematically failing to provide them with the same opportunities that other sports and sectors so successfully provide.

“Cricket has to take responsibility for these failings and must learn that until we make the game an attractive proposition for youngsters of all backgrounds to continue through the pathway into the professional game, much like other sports and sectors are doing, the game won’t make the progress it needs to.”

He said in a later interview with Sky Sports News that he was not planning to resign, but that he would step down if the Middlesex board or the club’s members wanted him to.

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Boris Johnson Had ‘Birthday Party’ At Downing Street During First Lockdown, Report Says

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Boris Johnson is under fresh pressure to resign following reports he had a “surprise” birthday party at No 10 during the first lockdown in 2020.

ITV News claimed a birthday party inside Downing Street’s Cabinet Room was attended by up to 30 people on the afternoon of June 19. The event is said to have lasted between 20 and 30 minutes.

Johnson’s wife Carrie and designer Lulu Lytle – who was renovating his Downing Street apartment – led staff in a chorus of happy birthday, the broadcaster alleged.

ITV News said in its report that family friends were later hosted upstairs in the prime minister’s flat.

Labour leader Keir Starmer hit out at a “chaotic, rudderless government” and repeated his call for Johnson to resign. “He’s got to go,” Starmer said.

But Downing Street disputed the report – saying staff only “gathered briefly” in the Cabinet Room after a meeting.

A No 10 spokesperson said of the afternoon celebration: “A group of staff working in No 10 that day gathered briefly in the Cabinet Room after a meeting to wish the prime minister a happy birthday. He was there for less than ten minutes.”

Of the evening event claim, they said: “This is totally untrue. In line with the rules at the time, the prime minister hosted a small number of family members outside that evening.”

In March 2020, Johnson tweeted praise for a seven-year-old girl called Josephine who had postponed her birthday party until “we have sent coronavirus packing”.

He wrote: “Together we can beat this. In the meantime let’s all wish her happy birthday (twice) whilst washing our hands. #BeLikeJosephine #StayHomeSaveLives.”

Starmer told broadcasters: “This is yet more evidence that we have got a prime minister who believes that the rules that he made don’t apply to him.

“And so we have got a prime minister and a government who spend their whole time mopping up sleaze and deceit.

“Meanwhile millions of people are struggling to pay their bills. We cannot afford to go on with this chaotic, rudderless government.

“The prime minister is a national distraction and he’s got to go.”

The PA news agency reported that Lytle briefly attended while undertaking work in Downing Street.

Soane Britain, the luxury designer co-founded by Lytle, said she was “present in Downing Street on June 19 working on the refurbishment”, which has been subject to multiple investigations into its funding.

“Lulu was not invited to any birthday celebrations for the prime minister as a guest,” the spokeswoman said.

“Lulu entered the Cabinet Room briefly as requested, while waiting to speak with the prime minister.”

It came as senior civil servant Sue Gray was working on her inquiry into a series of claims of rule-breaking parties in No 10. It is expected to be published this week.

ITV News said that picnic food from M&S was eaten during the afternoon gathering. Martin Reynolds, Johnson’s under-fire principal private secretary, was also said to have attended.

Social gatherings indoors were forbidden under lockdown laws at the time, with a relaxation of the regulations permitting gatherings of up to six people to take place outside.

Culture secretary Nadine Dorries, a staunch ally of Johnson, questioned whether the gathering would have broken the rules in place at the time.

“So, when people in an office buy a cake in the middle of the afternoon for someone else they are working in the office with and stop for ten minutes to sing happy birthday and then go back to their desks, this is now called a party?” she tweeted.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy tweeted “he needs to go now”.

Lammy wrote: “No more excuses, no more delays, no more waiting for Sue Gray.

“For the sake of all the sacrifices the British people have made, for all the loved ones lost and mourned alone, he needs to go now.”

This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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Nadine Dorries Pokes Fun At David Cameron’s New Look

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Culture secretary Nadine Dorries has issued a warning about buying tickets from touts – by tweeting a viral photo of former prime minister David Cameron.

The photo quickly became the basis of a meme on social media, with many joking the outfit made Cameron look like the kind of shady character you might find at a pub or car boot sale.

And Cabinet minister Dorries, who once described her one-time party leader as an “arrogant posh boy”, joined in the fun.

She wrote: “Whether it’s a major music festival, sporting event or concert, it’s important that people pay a fair price to see the events they love. Please remain vigilant when considering to buy from ticket touts. Guidance is available if you are unsure.”

Last week, Dorries accused a Tory MP who claims to have faced “intimidation” from their party of “attention-seeking behaviour”.

Many pointed out this was a comment made by the same politician who once appeared on I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here and ate ostrich anus on TV.

In any case, Dorries appeared to be going with the consensus in her ribbing.

Last year, Cameron was embroiled in controversy over his intense lobbying for collapsed finance firm Greensill Capital – which was laid bare in 45 emails, texts and WhatsApp messages to ministers and officials.

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Car Falls From Bridge On To Busy Motorway

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A passenger has been flown to hospital after a car fell from a bridge and landed in the middle of a busy motorway.

Durham Police said the crash happened at the Bowburn interchange on the A1(M) at 10.35am on Friday.

The force said a vehicle which was driving on the A177 flyover left the carriageway and landed on its roof in the central reservation below.

The driver of the car freed themselves from the wreckage but the passenger had to be cut free.

No other injuries have been reported, police said.

The site was close to the scene of a horrific fireball crash which killed three people in July and saw lorry driver Ion Onut, 41, from Galashiels, Scotland, jailed earlier this month for three counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

The North East Ambulance Service said it requested help from the Great North Air Ambulance.

A spokeswoman said: “Two patients were taken to hospital for further treatment; the first patient was taken by road to the University Hospital North Durham (UHND), and the second patient was flown to the Royal Victoria Infirmary Major Trauma Centre (RVI MTC).”

The A1(M) and the A177 were closed in both directions.

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