Previously loyal Tory MPs in Yorkshire turn against Boris Johnson on dramatic day

MP for Pudsey Stuart Andrew said he was resigning as Housing Minister with “real sadness” as he joined dozens of other colleagues quitting Government posts yesterday.

In his resignation letter, Mr Andrew wrote: “Loyalty and unity are traits that I have always endeavoured to provide for our great party. However, I fear I have let these override my judgement recently. There comes a time when you have to look at your own personal integrity and that time is now.

"Therefore, given recent events I have no other choice than to resign. Our party, particularly our members and more importantly our great country, deserve better. Having a marginal seat I have seen the huge sacrifice our members make in volunteering considerable hours to campaign on our behalf and I cannot, in all good conscience, tolerate them having to defend the indefensible.”

Elmet & Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrooke, who backed the Prime Minister in last month’s confidence vote, posted a statement on Twitter confirming Mr Johnson has now lost his support following the events surrounding the Christopher Pincher scandal.

He said: “It has been my view that the seriousness of world events and the UK’s leadership in support of Ukraine required stability in leadership at home; however, it is now clear to me that the Prime Minister’s leadership of Conservative Party can go on no longer as it is causing a distraction from the serious international issues we face as a country. Honesty and integrity should be the watchword of all politicians and it remains so for the large majority of Conservative MPs. I no longer believe, after several resets, that these values can be re-embedded under the current leadership.”

It followed Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake, who had also backed Mr Johnson in last month's confidence vote, praising the resignations of Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak on Tuesday night.

Mr Hollinrake wrote on Twitter that the resignations were the right decisions.

He said: "Loyalty to leadership is important, but trust in our leader is vital, sadly I see no way now of the PM rebuilding this."

On Wednesday, Mr Johnson also faced renewed criticism from Yorkshire MPs who have already attacked his leadership.

In Parliament, Haltemprice and Howden MP David Davis repeated his call from earlier in the year for Mr Johnson to quit. “Six months ago I called on the Prime Minister to resign because even then it was clear that his approach to leadership and integrity was already creating a pipeline of problems that will paralyse proper Government. Today I ask him to do the honourable thing, to put the interests of the nation before his own interests and before, in his own words, it does become impossible for Government to do its job.”

Mr Johnson replied: “I just couldn’t disagree with him more. Look at what the Government is doing today, cutting taxes … we’ve just completed a programme to get half a million people off welfare into work, thanks to the strength of our economy.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones, who voted against Mr Johnson in last month's confidence vote, called for the Prime Minister to go while York Outer MP Julian Sturdy made a similar demand.

He said: "Unfolding events clearly underline my previous judgement that the Prime Minister’s position is untenable. I urge him to stop rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, and resign with dignity. The Government has very significant achievements, but it is obvious new leadership is required for it to rise to current challenges."

Following the Liaison Committee hearing, Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith, a former chief whip for Theresa May’s Government, said the Prime Minister “must now take the lead in a responsible transition to ensure stable government for our country”.

But Penistone and Stocksbridge MP Miriam Cates said that while Boris Johnson’s future was “hanging by a thread”, she remained supportive of the Prime Minister.

Speaking on the BBC’s Politics Live, she said: “I do accept it doesn’t look good.

“But I think we should be asking some bigger questions about democracy, about whether it is right to get rid of somebody with such a huge mandate from the electorate just two-and-a-half years ago and whether or not that is actually a matter for the British people at general elections.

“I think it is a good time to consider those things.”

Asked if she was still supporting the Prime Minister, she said: “Yes.”

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