PM to face a no confidence vote
Tory MPs will tonight decide if Boris Johnson will remain as PM
The Prime Minister will face a vote of confidence later today. This comes after Sir Graham Brady announced 15% of Conservative MPs have expressed no confidence in the PM.
The vote via a secret ballot - will take place at Westminster tonight between 6pm and 8pm, with the count to take place immediately afterwards.
It comes after a steady stream of Tory MPs called publicly for the Prime Minister to stand down in the wake of Sue Gray's report into breaches of the Covid regulations in No 10 and Whitehall.
In order to oust the Prime Minister, however, the rebels will need 180 MPs, and allies of Mr Johnson made clear he is determined to fight to stay on.
Sir Graham said he had informed Mr Johnson on Sunday that the threshold of 15% of the parliamentary party calling for a vote had been passed. Sir Graham said: "I have followed the rules that we have in place. I notified the Prime Minister yesterday and we agreed the timetable for the confidence vote to take place,".
Steven McCabe, Professor at Birmingham City University, said “Tory MPs, particularly those in the red wall seats, but also many in the blue wall seats who fear losing their seats to the liberal democratic, want to go the next general election with someone they believe is not a liability which Boris Johnson seems to have become”
Professor McCabe added: “Margaret Thatcher, though winning the vote of confidence with 54% resigned, John Major won his vote of confidence and lost the general election two years later and Theresa May won her vote of confidence but resigned shortly after. Having a vote of confidence suggests all is not well. Even though you win the vote, you may last in office for long”.