Boris Johnson: Party investigation slammed by Peston
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Boris Johnson is once more tackling anger from the public and MPs alike over a series of alleged parties in Downing Street during lockdown. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said Mr Johnson does not believe he broke lockdown rules by attending a party in the first lockdown, however, a report carried out by senior civil servant Sue Gray will determine the extent to which any rules were broken.
Mr Johnson apologised during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, saying he recognised the public’s “rage” but added he thought the gathering was a “work event”.
Labour leader Keir Starmer rebuffed Mr Johnson’s claim, saying it was “actually offensive to the British public”, and social media has since been awash with calls for Mr Johnson’s resignation.
Shadow housing secretary Lisa Nandy has said today Mr Johnson “should not be confident that he will survive” the controversy over the Downing Street party.
Ms Nandy told Times Radio: “The level of public anger, I think, is immense. In the end, if the Tory MPs don’t do the right thing and find the courage and the backbone to get rid of the Prime Minister, the ball will be in the public’s court.
“Based on what I’m seeing pouring into my inbox this morning, I think the Prime Minister should not be confident that he’ll survive this, despite his clear and obvious desperate attempts to hold on to power at the moment.”
But while bookmaker Paddy Power has slashed the odds on Boris Johnson to step down to 8/11 in from 5/6, there are three things that must happen before he could go.
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The report into parties at Downing Street
Senior cabinet office employee Sue Gray is conducting an investigation into the allegations.
Having worked under both Conservative and Labour governments, Ms Gray was once dubbed “the most powerful person you’ve never heard of”.
Her findings will be a tipping point for the Prime Minister, either vindicating him or further condemning the Government.
Should the parties be seen as illegal, the Met Police could be brought in to investigate. This is something the police have refused to do so far.
There is no clear date for the report’s release, as a spokesperson for the Cabinet Office told Express.co.uk “the findings of the investigations will be made public in due course.”
According to the Terms of Reference published by the Cabinet Office, the “primary purpose will be to establish swiftly a general understanding of the nature of the gatherings, including attendance, the setting and the purpose, with reference to adherence to the guidance in place at the time.
“If required, the investigations will establish whether individual disciplinary action is warranted.”
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Rishi Sunak’s position is key
Alongside the talk of Mr Johnson’s exit is who could become his successor – and one of the key candidates is Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, who holds a strong position in the party.
Mr Sunak’s moves in the next few days will likely determine Mr Johnson’s future.
Should Mr Sunak – who was absent from yesterday’s PMQs hammering – decide to resign from the Cabinet Office amid the ongoing scandal, the PM would suffer a fierce blow.
The Chancellor could then tell the Tory party to remove Mr Johnson, potentially triggering a vote of no confidence.
Mr Sunak appears to be waiting for the results of the enquiry before making any decisions, tweeting on Wednesday: “I’ve been on a visit all day today continuing work on our #PlanForJobs as well as meeting MPs to discuss the energy situation.
“The PM was right to apologise and I support his request for patience while Sue Gray carries out her enquiry.”
The Chancellor could then tell the Tory party to remove Mr Johnson, potentially triggering a vote of no confidence.
Mr Sunak appears to be waiting for the results of the enquiry before making any decisions, tweeting on Wednesday: “I’ve been on a visit all day today continuing work on our #PlanForJobs as well as meeting MPs to discuss the energy situation.
“The PM was right to apologise and I support his request for patience while Sue Gray carries out her enquiry.”
Letters of no confidence reach threshold
When the leading party’s MPs want to get rid of a prime minister, they can submit letters of no confidence.
These letters need to equal 54 for a vote of no confidence to be held, 15 percent of MPs.
Sir Graham Brady receives the letters as head of the backbench 1992 Committee and should the threshold be reached, a vote of no confidence is held.
The Committee doesn’t announce the number of letters to the public, however often MPs who have submitted no confidence in the PM announce they have done so.
After 54 letters, a vote of no confidence is held, with all MPs voting on whether Mr Johnson would stay or go.
If a majority vote for Mr Johnson’s exit, he would resign, someone would be appointed as PM and the government given 14 days to win the confidence of MPs with another vote.
Opposition parties could also try to form their own government during this time.
At the end of the 14-day stint, if no resolutions are found, a general election would be triggered.
Currently, two MPs have confirmed they have submitted letters – Sir Roger Gale, MP for North Thanet and Douglas Ross, Scottish Conservative leader.
Several more are suspected to have made their lack of confidence in the Prime Minister clear, however have not yet confirmed this.
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