Pressure on the PM as Pudsey MP resigns from Government

Mr Andrew confirmed on Wednesday that he was standing down as Minister for Housing as ministers and aides continued to quit the Government in protest at Boris Johnson's leadership

Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is understood to be among a group of Cabinet ministers prepared to tell Johnson he should quit.

Mr Johnson is being grilled by MPs on the influential Liaison Committee as ministers and aides continue to quit his Government in protest at his leadership. By 5pm, no fewer than 33 resignations had been confirmed.

Mr Johnson told the Committee that the Conservative Party needed to “love each other” and added that he saw no reason for a snap general election.

Earlier, at Prime Minister’s Questions Mr Johnson said the “colossal mandate” he had been handed by voters in 2019 meant he should keep going despite the “difficult circumstances” he faced.

The district’s two Conservative MPs – Shipley’s Philip Davies and Keighley and Ilkley’s Robbie Moore – were approached for comment by the Telegraph & Argus.

A spokesman for Mr Moore confirmed that his position on the Prime Minister has not changed since he voted against Mr Johnson in the Vote of No Confidence last month.

“He has since re-submitted a Letter of No Confidence to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee,” he added.

Mr Davies said: "I made my views clear at the time of the confidence vote when I announced I voted against Boris."

Bradford South Labour MP Judith Cummins said: “Things are going from bad to worse for this government, and the current situation is completely unsustainable. The Prime Minister needs to put the national interest first as it is clear that he has lost the confidence of his own MPs.”

Keighley-born Alastair Campbell, who worked as No 10 Director of Communications under Tony Blair's Government, said: "I have been doing interviews with radio and television in different parts of the world and they think we are a global joke. They think Johnson is a global joke."

He said there were "very good people in the Conservative party" who were not in the cabinet because a "fifth rate Prime Minister" had surrounded himself with "third and fourth rate" people who would not have got a job on the front bench of any other Prime Minister in history.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson

The PM has been hit by a wave of resignations, including key cabinet figures Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Health Secretary Savid Javid (left) and Chancellor Rishi Sunak (right)

Others include Alex Chalk, Solicitor General; Will Quince, parliamentary under-secretary of state for children and families at the Department for Education; and Jo Churchill, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

In his letter of resignation, MP for Pudsey, Mr Andrew said: “It is with real sadness that I write to tender my resignation from HM Government.

“I have been honoured to serve in a number of roles within government over the past few years, most recently as the Minister for Housing. This is a role, although having only been in post for six months, I have enjoyed immensely and I’m grateful to have been supported by a superb team, both in my private office and the wider civil service, within the department.

Pudsey MP Stuart Andrew

“There is so much you have achieved and which I admire. Brexit led to a complete stalemate in Parliament and your leadership in resolving that was no mean feat but you managed it following a hugely successful general election. The pandemic followed, and the swift financial response provided to so many households gave the reassurance they needed at an incredibly worrying time and the rollout of the vaccine enabled our country to get back to work with confidence. Now we face a proud independent country being threatened by an aggressive neighbour and again your response to the situation has been excellent.

“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.”

The leader of Leeds' Conservative group of councillors has also called for Mr Johnson to resign.

Councillor Andrew Carter (Calverley and Farsley) said it was time for "the Conservative Party and the country to move on" from Mr Johnson, adding "we can't go on like this".

Councillor Carter, who is the Leader of the Opposition on Leeds City Council, said: "To be frank, the conduct of the Prime Minister, over the past few weeks in particular, has been more than enough for anybody.

"Whilst Boris Johnson can claim some big successes, not least Brexit, the commitment to levelling up, the managing of Covid and the Ukraine crisis, what's happened recently is completely unacceptable."

Here is a list of the 32 MPs (correct as of mid-afternoon on Wednesday) who had resigned from the Government since Tuesday evening.

1. Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

2. Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer

3. Andrew Murrison, trade envoy to Morocco

4. Bim Afolami, Conservative Party vice-chairman

5. Saqib Bhatti, parliamentary private secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care

6. Jonathan Gullis, parliamentary private secretary at the Northern Ireland Office

7. Nicola Richards, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Transport

8. Virginia Crosbie, parliamentary private secretary at the Welsh Office

9. Theo Clarke, trade envoy to Kenya

10. Alex Chalk, Solicitor General

11. Laura Trott, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Transport

12. Will Quince, parliamentary under-secretary of state for children and families at the Department for Education

13. Robin Walker, minister of state for school standards at the Department for Education

14. Felicity Buchan, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

15. John Glen, minister of state at the Treasury

16. Victoria Atkins, minister of state for prisons and probation at the Ministry of Justice

17. Jo Churchill, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

18. Stuart Andrew, minister of state for housing at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities

19.  Selaine Saxby, parliamentary private secretary at the Treasury

20. Claire Coutinho, parliamentary private secretary at the Treasury

21. David Johnston, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Education

22. Kemi Badenoch, minister of state at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities

23. Julia Lopez, minister of state at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

24. Lee Rowley, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

25. Neil O’Brien, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities

26. Alex Burghart, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Education

27. Mims Davies, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Work & Pensions

28. Duncan Baker, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities

29. Craig Williams, parliamentary private secretary at the Treasury

30. Mark Logan, parliamentary private secretary at the Northern Ireland Office

31. Rachel Maclean, parliamentary under-secretary of state for safeguarding at the Home Office

32. Mike Freer, parliamentary under-secretary of state for exports at the Department for International Trade

33. Mark Fletcher, parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

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