The Bishop of Buckingham has joined the growing calls for Boris Johnson’s resignation and believes he “obviously” lied about the confinement parties on Downing Street.
The right-wing reverend Dr. Alan Wilson described the Prime Minister’s defense as not realizing what was going on as “nonsense”, adding that the country needed a leader to trust.
Johnson has faced public calls from Conservative MPs to resign following Sue Gray’s final report on breaches of Covid regulations and alcohol culture on Downing Street and Whitehall.
According to party rules, he will face a vote of confidence if 54 Conservative MPs, 15% of the party, send a letter to the chairman of the 1922 fund committee, Sir Graham Brady, asking for one.
When asked by Times Radio if Johnson should resign, Wilson said, “The only answer is yes. I’m an Army kid and what they used to say to the Army was that you can trust anyone, but you can’t trust a liar. “
He added: “You can see it from a mile away. And most normal people realize that it’s all nonsense. It’s not really parties. It’s a lie. I think that’s the problem. I want to. “I think everyone is wrong. And I think people are very tolerant of that. But I think it’s very difficult to trust a liar.”
The number of Conservative MPs publicly criticizing Johnson’s conduct has convinced some in Westminster that the 54-letter threshold could be met next week.
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It is known that some parliamentarians are being prevented from sending letters of censure out of concern that their names will be leaked and they will face retaliation from whips.
Barrow MP Simon Fell became the last MP to publicly question the prime minister’s position on Wednesday, saying an apology was “insufficient” in a letter to voters.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Evans, chairman of the public life standards committee, accused Johnson of not easing fears that he and his ministers would be considered above the rules.
He also criticized a planned overhaul of the way the ministerial code is controlled, saying they undermined the role of Conservative leader Christopher Geidt’s ethics adviser.
Johnson is still facing an investigation by the House of Commons privileges committee over whether he lied to MPs when he repeatedly claimed that “all instructions were followed” on Downing Street.
Despite changes to the ministerial code, the penalty for deceiving Parliament remains the waiver.