Boris Johnson faces rebellion from 60 Tories as Omi-shambles rolls on
Times of London
he mood on the Conservative tables in the Commons tearoom on Wednesday resembled something between a wake and a mutiny. Tory MPs had watched Boris Johnson get pummelled by Sir Keir Starmer at prime minister’s questions over No 10’s lockdown-busting party in December last year, when the rest of the country was banned from having social gatherings.
That morning a video had come to light of Allegra Stratton, then Johnson’s spokeswoman, doing a mock press conference in which she and other Downing Street aides discussed the “Christmas party” and joked they would have to present it publicly as “a business meeting” to get around the rules. The video sank No 10 claims that “there was no party”.
That same day in Portcullis House MPs were seen brandishing letters they were planning to send to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, demanding a vote of no confidence in the prime minister. Fifty-four letters are needed to trigger a vote.
And that was just the beginning. Next week Johnson faces the biggest rebellion of his premiership, with more than 60 Conservative MPs poised to vote against the imposition of extra Covid-19 measures.
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