The most recent corruption scandal involving his administration has emboldened Tory rebels, who are redoubling their efforts to remove Boris Johnson from Number 10.
In response to his selection of Chris Pincher as the Conservative Party’s deputy chief whip in February, the prime minister is facing criticism.
As a number of additional charges against Mr. Johnson surface, questions are being raised regarding what knowledge he may have had of the actions of the 52-year-old, who has been suspended as a Tory MP following allegations that he touched two men while intoxicated.
Even before putting the MP to the crucial position in charge of Tory discipline, Mr. Johnson allegedly called him “handsy” and made the joke that he was “Pincher by name, pincher by nature.”
Just before what could turn out to be crucial internal elections inside the Conservative Party, the PM is dealing with a new controversy that has angered the Cabinet.
The influential 1922 Committee will be voting next week on crucial positions, which are increasingly being viewed as a proxy vote on Mr. Johnson’s future amid plans to amend party rules to permit another vote of no confidence in the PM.
However, Mr. Johnson, who is scheduled to appear before the House of Commons for the first time this afternoon following a recent nine-day overseas vacation, will likely respond negatively to the ongoing plotting by Tories.
The PM is expected to brief MPs on his presence at the NATO, G7, and Commonwealth summits last week. He will want to emphasize the role he is playing in efforts to combat the global cost of living issue and in supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion.
There is a fight between rebel MPs and Mr. Johnson’s supporters about who will occupy the 18 slots on the executive of the 1922 Committee.
The PM was granted a 12-month period of immunity after defeating a vote of no confidence in his leadership last month.
However, if the rebels gain a majority on the 1922 executive, they want to amend that provision so that Mr. Johnson might stand for a new vote.
One dissident told The Times that the controversy surrounding Mr. Pincher had “100%” bolstered the effort to remove the PM.
Another person continued, saying, “It has certainly sharpened minds to act because it all gets back to the Prime Minister.”
According to the newspaper, one idea by Tory rebels was to alter party regulations to permit a fresh vote of no confidence in Mr. Johnson’s leadership if 90 MPs, or 25% of the parliamentary party, submitted letters to 1922 chair Sir Graham Brady.
The idea, which raises the bar from 15% to 54 MPs, is being referred to as a “compromise proposal” because it caused last month’s vote.
Will Quince, the minister for children and families, refuted Dominic Cummings’ assertion that Mr. Johnson had made a joke about Mr. Pincher being “Pincher by name, pincher by nature” this morning. Cummings is the PM’s estranged former main adviser.
“I assume that comment originated from Dominic Cummings, who’s not someone I give an enormous amount of credibility, given past experience,” he said, according to LBC Radio.
Before choosing Mr. Pincher as deputy chief whip, Mr. Quince stated in a number of TV and radio interviews that he had received “categorical assurance” that Mr. Johnson was “not aware of any major specific complaint” concerning Mr. Pincher.
Additionally, he refuted assertions that because Cabinet ministers were staying off the TV, subordinate ministers like himself were being forced to give media interviews concerning the “indefensible” claims made against Mr. Pincher.
I’m definitely not going to defend the former deputy chief whip,’ he said in a statement to Sky News.
The charges are horrifyingly serious, and I find them repugnant.
But that’s not the case today, as I was scheduled to speak about a crucial childcare announcement four or five days ago, if I recall correctly.
Last week, Mr. Pincher resigned from his position as deputy chief whip after admitting to “embarrassing himself and others” at the Carlton Club, a swanky London bar that Conservatives enjoy frequenting.
In addition to promising to “cooperate completely” with a parliamentary probe into his conduct, he has referred himself for “professional medical treatment.”
But the MP has denied other claims that have surfaced against him and will now sit as an independent after the Tory whip was suspended.
Anneliese Dodds, head of the Labour Party, has written to the PM asking information about what was known in Downing Street of Mr. Pincher’s alleged misconduct prior to his second appointment as a Tory whip.
The Tamworth MP had previously resigned from the whips’ office in 2017 after being accused of making an unwelcome move at former Olympic rower and Conservative volunteer Alex Story and being named in the “Pestminster” sleaze affair.
However, a later investigation vindicated Mr. Pincher.
Only Boris Johnson, according to Ms. Dodds, could have considered this man’s track record and concluded that “he merits a promotion.”
This prime minister is obviously content to cover up sexual misconduct in order to protect his own reputation.