PM's Sudden Lurch To Right Fuels Anger Of Tory Rebels

Boris Johnson's lurch to the right after Partygate is fuelling even more anger among rebel Tory MPs, with momentum now building for a leadership challenge next week.

- Rowena Mason, Heather Stewart, Helen Pidd

Conservative whips spent the first day of recess anxiously phoning round the parliamentary party to shore up support for the prime minister, as three more MPs called on him to resign, including Jeremy Wright, a former attorney general.

Several Tory MPs told the Guardian they believed the threshold of 54 letters withdrawing support for Johnson was close to being crossed - or may have been already. This would trigger a secret ballot on whether they still have confidence in the prime minister.

It is understood that Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 Committee, will have to use his own judgment about whether to announce the milestone being passed straight away if it occurs while parliament is off this week, or wait until Monday when the House of Commons returns after the Queen's jubilee celebrations.

One backbench critic of the PM said MPs from the 2019 intake were "gathering their courage" to put in letters before next Monday, but were worrying about repercussions if No 10 were to identify them after an unsuccessful coup.

They said the opposition to Johnson was increasingly coordinated and determined to trigger a vote, with almost 30 MPs having publicly declared their opposition so far.

In his statement withdrawing support for the prime minister, Wright said Johnson had done "real and lasting damage" to the institution of government, and while he could not be sure the prime minister had misled parliament, Johnson had been at best "negligent" in how he had approached the issue.