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| Boris Johnson facing further calls to resign amid parties row | Boris Johnson facing further calls to resign amid parties row |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Boris Johnson is facing further calls to resign, as Tobias Ellwood became the latest Tory MP to say he wants to oust him from office. | Boris Johnson is facing further calls to resign, as Tobias Ellwood became the latest Tory MP to say he wants to oust him from office. |
| The Bournemouth East MP said he would be submitting a letter of no confidence in the PM, amid the ongoing row over lockdown parties in No 10. | The Bournemouth East MP said he would be submitting a letter of no confidence in the PM, amid the ongoing row over lockdown parties in No 10. |
| He joins colleague Peter Aldous, who said on Tuesday he had done the same. | He joins colleague Peter Aldous, who said on Tuesday he had done the same. |
| At least 54 Tories must submit letters to set up a vote on the PM's future. | At least 54 Tories must submit letters to set up a vote on the PM's future. |
| A handful of Tory MPs, including Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, have said they have submitted letters to the backbench 1922 Committee, which runs leadership contests. | A handful of Tory MPs, including Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, have said they have submitted letters to the backbench 1922 Committee, which runs leadership contests. |
| But the exact number of letters submitted is not known. | But the exact number of letters submitted is not known. |
| How long do Tories think Boris Johnson has got? | How long do Tories think Boris Johnson has got? |
| The Covid rules when Downing Street parties were held | The Covid rules when Downing Street parties were held |
| What does Sue Gray's parties report say? | What does Sue Gray's parties report say? |
| Mr Johnson is seeking to head off a leadership challenge prompted by weeks of damaging headlines about parties in government buildings held whilst Covid restrictions were in place. | Mr Johnson is seeking to head off a leadership challenge prompted by weeks of damaging headlines about parties in government buildings held whilst Covid restrictions were in place. |
| Initial findings from senior official Sue Gray's inquiry, published on Monday, revealed 12 events are now under investigation by the Metropolitan Police. | Initial findings from senior official Sue Gray's inquiry, published on Monday, revealed 12 events are now under investigation by the Metropolitan Police. |
| Mr Ellwood, who chairs the Commons Defence Committee, said he thought it was "inevitable" the 54 letters threshold would be reached. | |
| Adding that Mr Johnson should set up a vote on his leadership himself, he added: "this is all only going one way - and will invariable slide towards a very ugly place". | |
| Speaking to Sky News, he added it had become "just horrible" for the party's MPs to "continuously have to defend this to the British public". | Speaking to Sky News, he added it had become "just horrible" for the party's MPs to "continuously have to defend this to the British public". |
| "I don't think the prime minister realises how worried colleagues are in every corner of the party, backbenchers and ministers alike," he added. | |
| Tobias Ellwood has been an MP since 2005 and was a defence minister during Theresa May's premiership | Tobias Ellwood has been an MP since 2005 and was a defence minister during Theresa May's premiership |
| Meanwhile, Downing Street has refused to comment on reports of Mr Johnson's further attendance at some of the events being investigated by police. | Meanwhile, Downing Street has refused to comment on reports of Mr Johnson's further attendance at some of the events being investigated by police. |
| The Daily Telegraph reported he attended an event for two departing officials on 14 January 2021 - with the Guardian adding that he gave a speech and stayed for "around five minutes". | The Daily Telegraph reported he attended an event for two departing officials on 14 January 2021 - with the Guardian adding that he gave a speech and stayed for "around five minutes". |
| The Telegraph also said he attended an event for another departing official on 17 December 2020, and a gathering in his Downing Street flat on 13 November 2020. | The Telegraph also said he attended an event for another departing official on 17 December 2020, and a gathering in his Downing Street flat on 13 November 2020. |
| Asked about the reports, No 10 said it would not comment on the Met's ongoing investigation. | Asked about the reports, No 10 said it would not comment on the Met's ongoing investigation. |
| Asked on Monday whether he attended the event in his flat, Mr Johnson refused to say, adding he would not give a "running commentary" on the police probe. | Asked on Monday whether he attended the event in his flat, Mr Johnson refused to say, adding he would not give a "running commentary" on the police probe. |
| Savile remarks row | |
| Ahead of Prime Minister's Questions later, Mr Johnson is also facing calls to withdraw a claim he made on Monday that Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions (DPP). | |
| Sir Keir has called the comments a "ridiculous slur" - whilst Nazir Afzal, a former chief crown prosecutor for the North West, said on Monday: "It's not true. I was there. Keir Starmer had nothing to do with the decisions taken." | |
| The Labour leader was head of the Crown Prosecution Service in 2009 when Surrey Police interviewed Savile and consulted a CPS lawyer, who decided there was insufficient evidence for a prosecution to take place. | |
| The CPS has said Sir Keir was not the reviewing lawyer on the case, and there is no mention of his involvement in a 2013 review into the case. | |
| On Wednesday, Sir Bob Neill became the latest senior Tory to call on Mr Johnson to withdraw his claim - calling it "baseless and unworthy". | |
| He joins former Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith, who said on Tuesday the PM's accusation was "wrong and cannot be defended". |