BORIS Johnson is facing an increasing fight to stay in office over the Downing Street partygate scandal, as a new poll shows eight in 10 Scots think he should quit.
As further claims of regular “wine-time Friday” gatherings during lockdown emerged former Conservative minister Tobias Ellwood said the Prime Minister must “lead or step aside”.
The senior Tory and chairman of the Commons Defence Committee told the BBC: “We need leadership.”
Andrew Bridgen, Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire, also became the fifth Tory MP to publicly declare they have written to the chairman of the 1922 Committee – which organises Tory leadership contests – to say they have no confidence in the Prime Minister.
READ MORE: Downing Street staff used 'puppy gate' to control 'big dog' Boris Johnson
Johnson has reportedly been warned by cabinet ministers he is in the “last chance saloon” after Downing Street had to apologise to the Queen over two parties held the night before Prince Philip’s funeral in April last year.
Witnesses said guests drank alcohol and danced until the early hours as two after-work events merged on April 16 2021, with a person sent to a local shop with a suitcase to buy wine.
New polling from YouGov has found nine in ten Scots – 89% – think Johnson “has not been honest” in responding to allegations of Downing Street parties.
Eight in 10 said he should resign as Prime Minister in the wake of the scandal.
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SNP Westminster deputy leader Kirsten Oswald MP said: “Tory MPs are blowing any last remnants of credibility and public trust in the Conservative party by refusing to remove Boris Johnson from office.
“The Prime Minister has broken the rules and repeatedly lied. He is unfit for office and, by failing to act, Tory MPs are sticking two fingers up at the public and proving they have no integrity at all.”
The poll put the SNP at 53% in Westminster voting intentions, compared to 21% for the Tories and 10% for both Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford (below) also warned the Tories are being distracted from tackling vital issues such as the cost of living crisis by “months of Tory scandals”.
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“While the Prime Minister spends his days firefighting scandal after scandal, defending the indefensible, and desperately fighting to cling onto power – he has failed in his fundamental duties and left millions of families in crisis,” he said.
The details of “wine-time Friday” gatherings emerged in The Mirror, which also reported staff bought a £142 fridge to keep their bottles of alcohol chilled, and the Prime Minister was aware of the socialising.
A No 10 spokeswoman said: “There is an ongoing investigation to establish the facts around the nature of gatherings, including attendance, setting and the purpose with reference to adherence to the guidance at the time.
“The findings will be made public in due course.”
READ MORE: Scottish Tory MP mocked for claim about ‘strong’ state of Union
It has been reported senior civil servant Sue Gray, who is investigating claims about lockdown-busting parties in the UK Government, is struggling with the volume of new revelations and her report may now delayed until the week after next.
There has been estimates that 20 letters of no confidence have been submitted to the Tory 1922 committee – but that is well short of the 54 needed to trigger a leadership vote.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the Prime Minister had lost his moral authority, and called for the Tory party to topple him.
He told the Fabian Society conference in London: “We’ve got a Prime Minister who is absent – he is literally in hiding at the moment and unable to lead, so that’s why I’ve concluded that he has got to go.”
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