‘I doubt it!’ Tory MP trashes forecast 54 no-confidence letters ready to oust Johnson
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown discusses no-confidence vote
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Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown stated that there is nothing anyone can do if 54 no-confidence letters are submitted by Conservative Party MPs to trigger a leadership contest. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is sweating over the outcome of Sue Gray’s delayed inquiry into several party allegations as Tory MPs are reportedly ready to assemble in a bid to oust him if it turns out that he broke the law. But Sir Geoffrey admitted to harbouring doubts about whether that number can be met.
Speaking to political journalist Isabel Oakeshott, he reiterated that he has no inkling of whether the walls are closing in on Mr Johnson, stressing only Sir Graham Brady knows what is going on.
And he dismissed that journalist Fraser Nelson, who predicted troubles on the horizon for the Conservative Party, will definitely prove prophetic.
He said: “Sir Graham never discloses to anybody, even the officers at the 1922 [Committee], how many signatures he’s got, so I have no informed information on this subject.
“If Fraser, who is a very well-respected journalist, has that and has actually talked to over 54 MPs who’ve said that they are gonna submit letters, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will or they have.
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He added: “I simply don’t know whether there are that number of people out there.
“I doubt it from all the conversations I have had, a very considerable number of conversations over the last ten days that there are that number out there at the moment.
“But I simply don’t know.”
But if that were not the case, he pointed out, Tory MPs who decided against submitting letters would have no leeway to overturn the decision.
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He added: “Thee public can be absolutely assured as soon as that threshold is triggered then Sir Graham Brady will go and see the Prime Minister and there will then be a no-confidence vote.
“That’s how the 1922 works, that’s our rules.
“We have no latitude in this whatsoever.
“Once the threshold is met there has to be a vote of confidence.”
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The MP for the Cotswolds slammed the Conservative Party amid the series of partying allegations, saying that nobody can entirely be trusted or relied upon.
He said: “It’s a very fevered atmosphere at the moment everywhere.
“Leaks spring up everywhere and I think one has to be very careful who one talks to about what at the moment.
“And I’d just urge my colleagues that any leaks actually are extremely damaging and particularly if they are untrue like this one.
“It’s just not helpful to anybody.”
Ms Gray’s report was due to be released this week but the Metropolitan Police said on Friday that it had asked for “minimal reference” to be incluided.
The pilice fear that a number of events they are currently investigating could be prejudiced if they end up in the public domain.
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