Scottish Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden calls for Boris Johnson to resign

Douglas Lumsden, MSP for the North East Region, said that he respects the position of his boss, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who is still officially backing the PM due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

We told yesterday how despite calls ramping up from English Tory MPs submitting letters of no confidence to the 1922 committee, the other five Scots Tory MPs have remained silent on the issue.

READ MORE: Scottish Tory MPs silent as English colleagues call for Boris Johnson's resignation

Lumsden told The Press and Journal: “He should resign. If there was a report written about me like the Sue Gray report I’d definitely be considering my position and moving on.

“My thoughts haven’t changed since January.

“I think people will be making up their own minds.

“I respect Douglas’s position and it’s difficult for him being leader of the Conservative party in Scotland.

“My own personal view is what I set out in January that he should resign and that hasn’t changed.”

Ross has said the PM should resign when the war in Ukraine is over

Meanwhile, Ross’s current position is that Johnson “should step down” when the war is over.

He also told The National that he had “only changed position once” on whether or not the PM should remain in post after the Sue Gray report emerged, despite evidence to the contrary.

Lumsden added: “I think the worst part of the report is how they were treating cleaners and security staff.

“For me it just shows a complete lack of respect for other people and just shows you the culture that was ongoing within Downing Street.”

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It comes as former Cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom became the latest senior Tory to criticise Johnson for his “unacceptable failings” over lockdown parties in Downing Street.

A stream of backbenchers have now joined the calls for a resignation in the wake of the Gray report.

Carlisle MP John Stevenson became the latest to announce he had submitted a letter after Johnson did not respond to calls to put himself forward for a confidence vote by Tory MPs.

Leadsom is the latest senior Tory to call for Johnson to resign in the wake of the Sue Gray report

Former foreign secretary and Tory party leader Lord William Hague said the Prime Minister is “in real trouble” and that Tory MPs are “moving towards having a ballot” on his leadership.

It’s thought around 30 MPs have now publicly demanded Johnson’s resignation.

Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 committee, has remained tight-lipped on how many letters had been received so far.

There is a growing belief at Westminster that it is only a matter of time before the 54 letters from Tory MPs needed to trigger a confidence vote are reached.