Penny Mordaunt has become the latest candidate to enter the Tory leadership race.
The former defence secretary’s announcement brings the number vying to replace Boris Johnson to ten.
Launching her campaign with a video on Twitter, the Portsmouth North MP, who is also a member of the Royal Navy Rwserve, said: “Our leadership has to change. It needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship.
“I’m Penny Mordaunt and I’m ready to serve as the next leader of the Conservative Party.”
However, there was controversy as a clip from the video appeared to show Oscar Pistorious, who is currently in a South African prison for murdering his girlfriend.
Mordaunt, who is currently a trade minister, received the endorsement of George Freeman, who resigned as science minister last week in protest at Boris Johnson’s leadership.
Tom Tugendhat, who was the first candidate to announce he was running following Boris Johnson’s resignation, said today that he offered a “new start” for the party.
Grant Shapps has pledged to cut income tax straight away if he becomes the next prime minister.
The transport secretary said he would introduce an “emergency budget” within days of taking office to to reduce the basic rate by a penny in the pound.
He also vowed to scrap the planned rise in corporation tax as he sought to underline his tax-cutting credentials.
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In addition, Shapps said a government led by him would spend three per cent of GDP on defence – up from around two per cent at present.
He said he would pay for all of those multi-billion pound pledges by cutting public spending – but failed to identify where the axe would fall.
Former chancellor – and the early favourite to be the next Tory leader – Rishi Sunak announced at the budget in April that he wanted to cut income tax by 1p before the next election, which is due in 2024.
But speaking on Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday, Shapps said: “If I become prime minister we’ll have an emergency budget, we’ll introduce that immediately.”
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He said he also wants to “freeze” Sunak’s proposed increase in corporation tax, adding: “That is a tax which will not go up.”
Shapps said: “I believe in a lower tax, lower regulation, cut the red tape economy, where… the government essentially actually lowers the barriers for individuals and businesses to achieve the best possible things they can in their own lives.
“And I think the role of the government is to help with that. But sometimes that means reducing taxes, it means being able to reduce red tape, make it easier to deal with government, get on with your life, start a business, bring up a family, bring up children.”
Boris and Carrie Johnson are reportedly ploughing on with plans for a wedding party at Chequers as the prime minister shifts to a caretaker role in his final days in office.
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The pair married in a low-key, private ceremony at Westminster Cathedral last year.
A small group of family and friends attended the wedding, organised in strict secrecy, which was followed by a reception in the gardens of 10 Downing Street.
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It was known the Johnsons planned to have a larger celebration in 2022, when coronavirus restrictions were likely to be relaxed.
They were said to have sent save-the-date cards to family and friends for the celebration on July 30.
The Evening Standard reported last month that this would take the form of a “champagne-soaked soiree” at the PM’s country residence to celebrate the couple’s first anniversary.
It has now been suggested that Johnson wanted to stay on as a caretaker prime minister in part to see this through – although this claim was denied by Downing Street.
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The Mirror said it was told by two separate sources that the pair were keen to go ahead with the celebrations.
One Tory source said: “It beggars belief that even after all the criticism Johnson has faced regarding integrity and probity, one of the reasons he is staying is to have his wedding party at Chequers.
“It’s a national asset not his personal home. The Johnsons should do the decent thing and find a different venue. And Boris should do the decent thing and leave No 10 immediately”.
A second insider told the paper: “It’s crass if it goes ahead.”
But a spokesman for Johnson said: “The PM has a strong sense of duty and will continue to serve his country until a new leader is in place solely to continue his obligation to the public.”
It comes after the outgoing PM appeared to slip up in his resignation speech at Downing Street, thanking the “wonderful staff here at Chequers”, before quickly correcting himself to say “here at No 10”.
Operation Save Big Dog moved up a gear today as a raft of tactics were revealed to help the PM hold on to power.
They include “barbecues and drinks” with loyal supporters at his grace-and-favour residence Chequers.
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An invitation list has been drawn up to include MPs who publicly said they would back Johnson in the confidence vote, according to the Mail on Sunday.
Johnson’s so-called “summer sausage offensive” is planned for several events in the second half of July, insiders told the paper.
Meanwhile, the prime minister apparently wants to get Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address the Tory party conference, according to the Sunday Times’ Tim Shipman.
The PM’s so-called “summer sausage offensive” is planned for several events in the second half of July, insiders told the Mail on Sunday.
JEREMY SELWYN via Getty Images
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Ministers have reportedly discussed offering the Ukrainian president a full-blown state visit to the UK, including an audience with the Queen.
No.10 aides reportedly think it is a long shot but party officials would like him to be “guest of honour” at the Tory Party conference in Birmingham in October – potentially addressing the conference via a video link.
A source told the paper that Tory HQ “likes” the idea but Johnson is wary of “cheapening” a state invitation by adding something party political.
And, in another attempt to reset the prime minister’s leadership, tariffs on steel imports are set to be imposed in a bid to win back support in Red Wall seats.
Johnson will risk fresh allegations that he is breaking international law this week with new import limits designed to protect UK manufacturers from cheaper steel from overseas.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 09, 2022.
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The PM told reporters at the G7 summit in Germany that lifting the restrictions on cheap supplies from developing countries would not be the “right way forward”.
It comes after a tough few weeks for Johnson including a bruising confidence vote in which 41 per cent of Tory MPs voted for his removal.
Last week the Conservative party was also wiped out in two crunch by-elections in Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield.
There were fresh calls for Johnson’s resignation on Thursday, with warnings from two former Tory leaders, Lord Howard and Lord Hague.
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The losses have spurred on Tory rebels who are plotting their next move to oust Johnson by pushing for a party rule change to allow a second confidence vote in his leadership.
Tory MPs who want to remove Johnson are seeking election to the 18 most senior posts on the backbench 1922 Committee, which dictates how to conduct confidence votes in Tory party leaders.
Johnson won a confidence vote earlier this month – despite 41 per cent of Tory MPs voting for his removal.
Under current rules, another vote cannot be held for a year. However, rebels want that rule scrapped – which could be possible if 10 out of the 18 senior committee members back it.
However, the PM has brushed off threats to topple him with an astonishing prediction he will lead Britain into the 2030s.
Johnson stunned MPs plotting his downfall by insisting he is already thinking well beyond the next election and planning for his third term.
Rebel Tory Andrew Bridgen, who is leading the charge for a second no confidence vote, told the Sun on Sunday: “When I heard he plans to stay until 2030, I thought he was talking about the 24-hour clock.
“I’m more than happy for him to stay until 20:30. He can even stay until nine o’clock if he wants – so long as he’s gone before parliament breaks up for summer.”
Asked if he was being delusional by talking about being PM into the 2030s, Johnson told reporters at the G7 summit in Germany: “What I’m saying is this is a government that is getting on with delivering for the people of this country and we’ve got a huge amount to do.”
A close ally of Johnson recently told The Telegraph: “You will have to drag him out by his fingernails.”
A Tory MP today admitted it was “inevitable” that some ministers voted against Boris Johnson in last night’s confidence vote.
Ben Bradley, Conservative MP for Mansfield, said the result suggested some MPs on the government payroll voted to oust the prime minister.
The PM won a confidence vote in his leadership by 211 to 148 but it means more than 40 per cent of his MPs want him gone.
Bradley, who backs the PM, said Johnson knew he never had the “unanimous support” of Tory MPs because that is the nature of broad church political parties.
When it was put to him that 75 per cent of Tory backbenchers did not vote for the PM, Bradley told Sky News: “That’s guesswork really, it’s impossible to know who – payroll or non-payroll – voted in which particular way.”
Asked if he thought some ministers or cabinet members would have voted to get rid of the prime minister, he replied: “I think when you look at the numbers, that’s inevitable, in reality.
“But obviously it’s a secret ballot and we’ll probably never know the exact kind of divide there.”
Badly wounded, Johnson used a cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning to insist the government was getting “on with the job”.
Allies have rallied round him, but former Tory leader Lord Hague said “the damage done to his premiership is severe” and he should quit rather than prolong the agony.
The scale of the opposition was greater than that seen in 2018 when Theresa May faced a confidence vote. She was ultimately forced out within months.
Labour will try to heap further pressure on Johnson by asking MPs to vote on Tuesday to adopt a package of recommendations put forward by a sleaze watchdog aimed at improving standards in Westminster.
Meanwhile, the Lib Dems are pushing for a Commons confidence vote in the PM as a whole after Johnson survived the Tory process, although there is no date fixed for the move and it is unlikely to be successful.
So what next for Johnson? Having repeatedly defied the odds in the past, pundits believe he’s unlikely to step down now.
Despite the exceptionally narrow win, he hailed the result as “decisive” and said it allowed the government to “move on” – although that is improbable, too.
Here’s a breakdown of what could follow as the Tory turmoil rumbles on.
Another vote
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The current party rules don’t allow for more than one effort to oust a leader in the space of 12 months.
When Tory MPs botched an attempt to get rid of Theresa May in December 2018, they ultimately had to wait until she quit June 2019.
However, the rules can be changed at the stroke of a pen by the 1922 committee – and there have been two recent, if unsuccessful, attempts to give Tory MPs another shot sooner.
In April 2019, MPs demanded the party cuts the one-year rule to six months, and a similar attempt in January – as confidence in Johnson was draining – was also thwarted. Under the plans the threshold for triggering a second ballot would have doubled.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, leader of the 1922 committee Sir Graham Brady did admit that it was “technically” possible for the one-year grace period rule to be altered.
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Government reshuffle
Johnson could attempt to reassert himself by rewarding his loyal allies with new jobs and punishing those suspected of voting against him.
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A No.10 source hinted that this could be an option when speaking to POLITICO’s Playbook, but admitted: “We haven’t had that conversation yet.”
Further reports even suggest MPs who were on the fence were promised roles in government to seal the deal, and that a rejig could come within a matter of days with the less enthusiastic ministers being cut out.
Alternatively, ministers who no longer back Johnson could choose to get out of the job themselves by resigning, especially as the chorus of top Tories – such as former Conservative leader William Hague – wanting the PM out is only getting louder.
Leader of the Lib Dems Sir Ed Davey even called for Tory MPs who “care about integrity and decency” to resign the whip and sit as an independent, although no-one in the Tory ranks has hinted at doing such just yet.
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By-elections
The next date for the diary is June 23, which will see two by-elections on the same day. Wakefield in Yorkshire and Tiverton and Honiton in Devon. Both are currently held by the Conservatives, but the party risks losing Tiverton to the Lib Dems and Wakefield to Labour.
A loss in Wakefield would not be ideal given its position in the red wall, but it is probably expected. However, losing Tiverton, which has a Tory majority of 24,239, to the Lib Dems, could scare a critical mass of Conservative MPs into acting against the PM.
Double trouble on June 23 – and a sense from the electorate that the next general would be disastrous for the Tories – could be the trigger for Cabinet ministers to move. This is what did for Thatcher when “big beast” Michael Heseltine launched another leadership challenge in November 1990.
It’s worth remembering that the disastrous May local elections were not enough to shake Johnson from his post, even though the Tories lost around 500 council seats in total.
MPs on the Commons privileges committee are still investigating whether Johnson misled parliament during his explanations of rule-breaking parties during lockdown.
Despite defying calls to quit after the Sue Gray report and denying that he misled the Commons, if the committee finds him in contempt of parliament, it could recommend he is forced to apologise, suspended from the Commons, or even expelled. Any sanction would need to be approved in a vote by all MPs.
But Johnson has changed the rules so ministers will not automatically lose their jobs if they breach the ministerial code, including himself.
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A refreshed government policy statement – published just two days after the Gray report – said it was “disproportionate” to expect ministers to resign or face the sack for “minor” violations of the code’s provisions.
An early general election
A snap vote is unlikely, but still an option if Johnson feels he can get a fresh mandate from the country. It may his last roll of the dice if Tory pressure builds and senior ministers start to call for him to go.
The next general election does not have to happen until January 2025.
Johnson insisted in the immediate aftermath of the vote that he is “certainly not interested in snap elections”, and pushed instead for the government to “move on”.
But bizarrely, the prime minister also claimed that he now had “a far bigger mandate from my own parliamentary colleagues than I had in 2019”.
The snap general election he called two and a half years ago to consolidate his new position in No.10 saw 365 Tories elected.
This was a landslide majority – and a far cry from the 211 MPs (59% of the total parliamentary party) who voted in favour of keeping him in Downing Street on Monday.
Boris Johnson is on the verge of being ousted as Conservative Party leader and prime minister, after the number of Tory MPs demanding he resign reached the threshold for a vote of no confidence.
Chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady has announced that 54 or more Tory MPs have requested a vote of confidence in the PM, triggering a leadership vote.
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Tory MPs will vote this evening between 6pm and 8pm on whether they want Johnson to remain.
While plenty of Westminster insiders predict Johnson will survive the vote, the fact it has been called is damaging for the prime minister.
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Brady said in a statement: “The threshold of 15 per cent of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded.
Sir Graham Brady making the announcement to camera
“In accordance with the rules, a ballot will be held between 6pm and 8pm today Monday June 6 — details to be confirmed.
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“The votes will be counted immediately afterwards. An announcement will be made at a time to be advised. Arrangements for the announcement will be released later today.”
Speaking to journalists, Brady suggested some MPs had post dated their letters so the vote did not overshadow the Queen’s jubilee celebrations.
It comes after former minister Jesse Norman became the latest Tory MP to announce that he has submitted a letter calling for a confidence vote in Johnson.
Norman, the MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, said Johnson had presided over “a culture of casual law-breaking” in No.10 and that his claim to be vindicated by the Sue Gray report was “grotesque”.
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I have supported Boris Johnson for 15 years, for the London Mayoralty and for PM. Very sadly, I have written to him to say I can no longer do so, for the reasons set out below. pic.twitter.com/0Mjs4hjeSF
In order to oust him, 180 MPs would have to vote against Johnson in the confidence vote.
However, the odds are in the PM’s favour with around 140 MPs on the “payroll” alone including ministers and aides.
Cabinet ministers have been lining up to declare their support for the prime minister.
Foreign secretary Liz Truss tweeted: “The prime minister has my 100 per cent backing in today’s vote and I strongly encourage colleagues to support him.
“He has delivered on covid recovery and supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. He has apologised for mistakes made. We must now focus on economic growth.”
Levelling up secretary Michael Gove added: “I’ll be voting for Boris this evening. The PM got the big decisions right on Brexit and Covid.
“We need to focus now on defending Ukraine, driving levelling-up and generating growth. We need to move past this moment and unite behind Boris to meet these challenges.”
Conservative MP Michael Fabricant said he thinks Johnson will win the vote no of confidence on Monday evening.
He told Times Radio: “I think he is going to win. I think that something like two-thirds of the party will vote to support him and I really do wonder why it’s happening at this time.”
Chairman of the Conservative 1922 committee Sir Graham Brady says the 54-letter threshold has been passed and a vote of confidence in Boris Johnson will take place this evening.
A No.10 spokesperson said:“Tonight is a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people’s priorities.
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“The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs and will remind them that when they’re united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force.”
The government has confirmed that a consultation which could pave the way for greater use of imperial measurements in post-Brexit Britain will be launched on Friday.
Plans to review “overbearing EU rules” will restore “common sense” to the statute book, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
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The EU weights and measures directive came into force in 2000, with traders legally required to use metric units for sale-by-weight or the measure of fresh produce.
It remains legal to price goods in pounds and ounces, but they have to be displayed alongside the price in grammes and kilogrammes, except in a limited number of cases.
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The 12-week consultation will look at how to change those stipulations, giving traders more freedom to choose how they price fresh items.
It will assist the government in considering, for example, allowing vegetables to be sold in pounds only, or in pounds with a less prominent metric equivalent.
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BEIS said this will help inform plans to legislate to give businesses greater choice over the units they use.
The department insisted the move would not inflict further costs on businesses as there was no intention to require them to make a change.
A range of stakeholders are being invited to contribute to the consultation, including businesses, trade associations, enforcement bodies and consumer organisations.
The government announced its intention to review the rules on imperial measurements in September last year, as part of a range of post-Brexit regulatory reforms.
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Business minister Paul Scully said: “While we think of our fruit and veg by the pound, the legacy of EU rules means we legally have to sell them by the kilo.
“Our consultation today will help shops to serve customers in the way their customers want.”
The move has come in for criticism, with Tory peer and supermarket boss Lord Rose of Monewden arguing that the idea of returning to imperial weights and measures is “complete and utter nonsense” and would “add cost” for those making the transition.
The Asda chairman said on Thursday that the change would only please “a small minority who hark for the past”.
New government guidance published on Friday will also help businesses apply the Crown symbol to pint glasses, in what BEIS said will serve as a “tribute” to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
British pint glasses intended for measuring and serving beer used to be marked with a Crown stamp as a declaration that the measure was accurate.
But on the implementation of an EU directive in 2006, they were required to display an EU-wide “CE” marking to show they were conforming with the union’s regulations in the UK.
Glasses already bearing the Crown stamp did not have to be removed from circulation, and those with the EU-wide marking were technically allowed to display the Crown too, as long as it did not obscure the new symbol.
From 2023, glasses entering the market in England, Scotland and Wales will have to carry the new UKCA marking to show they are conforming with legal requirements.
Businesses can decide whether to apply the Crown symbol, which would be purely decorative.
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Scully said: “This Platinum Jubilee weekend we’re raising a toast to Her Majesty the Queen’s health and service to this country.
“It’s a fitting tribute that we’re now helping businesses to restore the Crown symbol to pint glasses.”
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has become the first Tory MP to call on Boris Johnson to quit as prime minister following his “partygate” apology.
Ross told Sky News: “Regrettably, I have to say his position is no longer tenable. I spoke to the prime minister this afternoon and I set out my reasons and I explained to him my position.”
Ross said he will write to the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs to express no confidence in Johnson’s leadership.
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Tory MPs William Wragg and Sir Roger Gale later joined Ross in suggesting Johnson should exit No.10.
Other Scottish Tories followed Ross’s lead and joined the chorus calling for a resignation.
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What Tory MPs are saying
Asked if he thought the PM should resign Douglas Ross told STV News: “I made that clear. There was one simple question to answer yesterday, indeed from Monday night when we saw this invitation which was to more than 100 people asking them to join others in the Downing Street garden and bring their own booze.
“If the prime minister was there, and he accepted today that he was then I felt he could not continue.
“What we also heard from the prime minister today was an apology and he said with hindsight he would have done things differently, which for me is an acceptance from the prime minister that it was wrong and therefore, I don’t want to be in this position, but I am in this position now, where I don’t think he can continue as leader of the Conservatives.”
He added: “I spoke to the prime minister this afternoon and I set down my reasons and I explained to him my position.”
Chairman of the public affairs and constitutional affairs committee and Tory MP for Hazel Grove, William Wragg, has said the prime minister’s position is “untenable”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme that: “A series of unforced errors are deeply damaging to the perception of the party.
“The prime minister’s position is untenable.”
Veteran Tory MP Sir Roger Gale said the PM “misled the House” about rule-breaking parties and should resign.
“I think the time has come for either the PM to go with dignity as his choice, or for the 1922 committee to intervene.”
The powerful backbench Tory 1922 Committee was holding a regular meeting on Wednesday, with the prime minister’s future hanging in the balance.
The Scottish Conservatives’ Covid recovery spokesman at Holyrood, Murdo Fraser, has joined the calls. After Ross stated that Johnson should resign, Fraser tweeted: “I fully support @Douglas4Moray in this call.
“I’m afraid the prime minister’s position is no longer tenable, he has lost public trust, and in the interests of the country and the Conservative Party he should step down.”
Scottish Conservative finance spokeswoman Liz Smith also tweeted: “I note that the media believe @Douglas4Moray Ross has made a brave call. He has also made the right call.”
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In the Commons, Johnson said that he attended the May 20 2020 gathering for around 25 minutes to “thank groups of staff” but “with hindsight I should have sent everyone back inside”.
The prime minister acknowledged public anger, saying: “I know the rage they feel with me and with the government I lead when they think in Downing Street itself the rules are not being properly followed by the people who make the rules.”
He said an inquiry was examining the situation but accepted “there were things we simply did not get right and I must take responsibility”.
<img class="img-sized__img landscape" loading="lazy" alt="Boris Johnson during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons.” width=”720″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.wellnessmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/three-tory-mps-call-on-boris-johnson-to-quit-2.jpg”>
Boris Johnson during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons.
UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor via PA Media
Downing Street refused to say whether his then fiancee Carrie Symonds had attended the gathering, if Johnson had noticed tables laden with food and drink or if he had brought a bottle of his own into the garden.
All such questions were a matter for senior official Sue Gray’s inquiry, the prime minister’s press secretary told reporters.
But she insisted Johnson had not been sent the invitation email from his principal private secretary Martin Reynolds encouraging colleagues to “bring your own booze” to the garden.
At just after 6pm on the day of the event, the time the invitation had specified for people to gather to “make the most of the lovely weather”, Johnson went into the garden to thank staff for their efforts and stayed for 25 minutes.
“I believed implicitly that this was a work event,” he said.
“With hindsight I should have sent everyone back inside.
“I should have found some other way to thank them.
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“I should have recognised that even if it could be said technically to fall within the guidance, there are millions and millions of people who simply would not see it that way, people who have suffered terribly, people who were forbidden for meeting loved ones at all inside or outside, and to them and to this House I offer my heartfelt apologies.”
Johnson’s press secretary insisted that he was not a liar and “he is not resigning”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also called on the prime minister to resign.
He added: “The party’s over, prime minister.
“The only question is will the British public kick him out, will his party kick him out, or will he do the decent thing and resign?”
The embattled prime minister also faced calls to quit from the SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey.
Hannah Brady, from the campaign group Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, said that, if Johnson does not step down, then his MPs have a “moral duty” to remove him.
Her father Shaun Brady, 55, died just a few days before the “bring your own booze” event and his death certificate was signed on the day it was held.
The Commons chamber was packed in anticipation of Johnson’s first public response to the leaked email about the May 20 2020 event although Chancellor Rishi Sunak, viewed as a potential successor as Tory leader, was notably absent on a visit to Devon.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Downing Street is standing by Allegra Stratton despite Boris Johnson’s claim he was furious at leaked footage that shows her laughing about a No.10 staff Christmas party with colleagues.
No.10 today confirmed that Stratton was still employed by government and that the prime minister had full confidence in her, despite her role in an exchange that showed staff making light of lockdown rules the public was asked to follow.
Johnson told an angry and hostile House of Commons he had ordered an investigation in light of the video, which he said had made him personally “furious”.
He told MPs he had asked Cabinet Secretary Simon Case “to establish all the facts and to report back as soon as possible – and it goes without saying that if those rules were broken then there will be disciplinary action for all those involved”.
However, he insisted he had been “repeatedly assured” since the allegations emerged that there was “no party and that no Covid rules were broken”.
The government has been engulfed in a scandal overnight by the emergence of the video, which has strengthened allegations that aides flouted lockdown rules by attending a Christmas party on December 18 during last year’s lockdown.
The leaked footage shows senior members of staff joking about whether the event broke lockdown rules at the time.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said Johnson’s apology “raises more questions than answers”.
“The prime minister, the government, spent the week telling the British public there was no party. All guidance was followed completely.
“Millions of people now think the prime minister was taking them for fools, that they were lied to. They are right aren’t they?”
Johnson repeated his apology, adding that he was “sickened”.
Downing Street said it hoped the cabinet secretary’s investigation would be finalised “as soon as possible” but is facing questions over whether the public can have any confidence in the probe.
