MPs lining up to challenge PM

Back-bench Tories and Labour’s shadow cabinet are set to table a number of urgent questions to the Speaker in an attempt to get the explosive events of the Easter recess debated publicly.

Mr Cameron’s admission after four days of questioning from the media that he previously held shares in his father’s offshore company Blairmore Holdings before he was elected in 2010 is unlikely to dampen calls from Labour into tax arrangements that deny a contribution to the UK Treausry.

Shadow Cities Minister, Leeds East MP Richard Burgon, believes the Prime Minister may have a case to answer over whether he breached the Ministerial Code over not declaring the shares sell off earlier.

Leeds-born MP John Mann has also written to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over Mr Cameron not declaring the shares while leader of the opposition.

Mr Cameron has not broken any law relating to his previous shares, however leader of the Liberal Democrats Tim Farron said it was a ‘morally murky’ area.

On the other side of the house Conservatives campaigning to vote to leave the EU are said to planning to scupper as much Government business as possible until the controversial mail out is pulled from landing on the doormats of 27m UK households.

With the EU referendum 11 weeks away both incidents are said to have drawn a laser-like focus on whether the up-coming vote is now a judgement on Mr Cameron’s leadership.

However those expecting fireworks across the despatch box or a concerted effort to make life hard for the Government from Tory Brexiters are likely to be bitterly disappointed, one Yorkshire Conservative source said.

And while back-benchers will let their feelings on the £9.3m leaflet be known by tabling an urgent question on Monday, Philip Davies MP, Conservative MP for Shipley said he was unaware of grander plans from Tory rebels.

The anti-EU politician said: “I don’t know what anyone is going to do. As far as I am concerned every vote is a free vote anyway.

“[The leaflet] is unjustafiable and to be frank it is a sign of how desparate the Government have got about it.

“If the remain campaign had been 20 per cent ahead in the opinion polls they wouldn’t be doing it. They’re taken aback at how many people want to leave. I’m sure people will say how unhappy they are.”

Further debate on the jusitication of the pro-EU leaflet may also come after an e-petition, “Stop Cameron spending British taxpayers” launched by the Get Britain Out group gained more than 120,000 signatures on Friday morning.

But while it may be open-season from Brexiters over the Government so publicly coming down on one side of the Euro debate, the Prime Minister’s revelation he had £30,000 in shares in an his later father’s company is unlikely to be dragged up by back-benchers from his own party.

The subject will be a no-go area for Conservatives, loyal and rebellious alike, many of whom have spoken-out on the vulgarity of discussing Mr Cameron’s deceased father.

Mr Davies, said: “I have lots to disagree with the Prime Minister over but at no time have I ever doubted his integrity and I don’t doubt it today. I believe in the rule of law and as long as he abides by the law no-body can expect anymore from him.”

Any urgent questions heard in the House of Commons on Monday are unlikely to drag Mr Cameron to the despatch box and would be answered by junior ministers from the Cabinet Office.

A Conservative source said the most likely future impact of the offshore shares and EU publicity intervention is how it frames the referendum on June 23 as a verdict on Mr Cameron himself.

He said: “The leaflet is largley benefiting the leave side.

“Cameron has nailed his colours to the mast so much that he has in effect put his own record up for judgement.”

UKIP Yorkshire and Humber MEP, Mike Hookem, said: “By using public money on the leaflet, David Cameron has very possibly turned much of the country from both sides of the debate against him, along with a number of his backbenchers.

“You only have to look at 130,000 signatures gathered in less than 24 hours on the petition to stop Cameron using public money for referendum propaganda to understand the depth of public anger on this issue.”

“It remains to be seen if David Cameron’s premiership and the conservative party can survive the referendum, no matter the outcome.”