MP statement hints at vote to remove Prime Minister – stops short of confirmation

Southport MP Damien Moore has published his strongest condemnation yet of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, but again stopped short of directly calling for new leadership of the Conservatives.

It was confirmed this morning the Parliamentary Conservative Party will hold a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson later today. The Southport MP has not confirmed how he intends to vote.

Mr Moore says that he has “never supported anyone blatantly breaking that Covid rules […] that the current Prime Minister broke”.

He has never publicly called for the Prime Minister to resign, nor divulged whether he has dispatched a letter to the 1922 Committee.

Mr Moore said in a statement today: “I welcome that a vote of confidence has now been called into the Prime Minister’s leadership, which will take place later today.

“Conservative Prime Ministers rightly require not only the support of the country at large, but of the Parliamentary party too, in order to govern with any authority.

“From conversations with my constituents, I am very aware of the hurt and anger that the Prime Minister’s actions have caused, and so with the requisite number of the Conservative Parliamentary Party having now called for it, it is right that this vote takes place.

“As I have said before, I have never supported anyone blatantly breaking the Covid rules, which were put in place to protect us all, and which the Sue Gray report, and the Metropolitan Police investigation, have now concluded that the current Prime Minister broke.”

MPs will have two hours to vote, between 6pm and 8pm this evening, with the count held immediately after. Any Conservative MP not in Westminster will be permitted to nominate a proxy.

The result will be based on a simple majority. Should every Conservative MP participate they will require 180 votes to remove Mr Johnson. A vote of no confidence would mean that the Conservative Party hold a leadership election and that Mr Johnson would not be allowed to stand. He would not be immediately removed as Prime Minister in the event of a loss.

The vote is a secret ballot and Damien Moore’s decision will only be made public should he choose to reveal it himself.

Last week local Liberal Democrat Leader John Pugh called on Damien Moore to be “clear” with his constituents regarding his stance on the Prime Minister.