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The leader of the opposition in the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, encouraged on Monday the MPs of the Conservative Party to take steps to remove Prime Minister Boris Johnson from office with an internal motion of confidence.
Starmer said in the House of Commons that British citizens think the Prime Minister should do the honorable thing and resign amid reports of parties on Downing Street, confirming that the head of government is under investigation.
“The eyes of this country are on them,” Starmer said, referring to Conservative MPs, who can call a vote of no confidence in Johnson’s leadership if 54 members of the parliamentary group request it in writing.
The government backbench listened quietly to the opposition leader, without the usual shouts of disagreement, as he asked them to rid the country of a prime minister totally unworthy of his responsibilities.
Shortly afterward, Tory MP Andrew Mitchell rose from the seat to say that while Johnson has had his “full backing” for the past 30 years, he has decided to withdraw his support in the light of the revelations about the Downing Street party scandal during the pandemic.
Another Johnson coreligionist, former Prime Minister Theresa May, also launched harsh criticism against the head of government.
The report published by senior civil servant Sue Gray shows that 10 Downing Street was not complying with the regulations that they themselves had imposed on citizens.
In a high-tension parliamentary session, Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle expelled Scottish National Party (SNP) Westminster leader Ian Blackford for repeatedly reiterating that Johnson had lied to Parliament and refusing to withdraw that accusation.
