A Nottinghamshire MP has become the latest in a string of Conservative politicians to say they have lost confidence in the Prime Minister.
Robert Jenrick, the MP for Newark and former housing secretary, announced the decision on Facebook on Wednesday afternoon (July 6).
Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, a former Boris Johnson loyalist, also withdrew his support for Boris Johnson on Wednesday.
It comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid both resigned within minutes of each other on Tuesday evening.
Mr Jenrick wrote that “the country would be best served by new leadership”.
He added: “It has become painfully clear that we are failing to provide the coherence, grip and direction that the country needs and deserves in these challenging times.
“I have found it difficult to support the ever rising tax burden and the Government’s failure to deliver essential reforms to our economy and public services, not least the abdication of responsibility to tackle the housing crisis for the benefit of future generations.
“More fundamentally there has been a significant and I fear irretrievable loss of trust with the public, confirmed by the mishandling of serious allegations in recent days.
“If we continue along our present path we risk doing lasting damage to the reputation of the Conservative Party for competence and good government and more importantly, to the standing of politics generally.
I can no longer, in all good conscience, support this.”
Mr Anderson said he shared the news “with a heavy heart”, saying his position had changed after controversy relating to Tamworth MP Chris Pincher.
Mr Pincher resigned from his post as Deputy Chief Whip last week after he was accused of groping two men in a private members’ club.
Earlier on Tuesday, it was confirmed that the prime minister was previously told about an investigation into Mr Pincher’s inappropriate behaviour in 2019.
This followed repeated initial statements from Number 10 that Mr Johnson was unaware of specific allegations against his former deputy chief whip when he appointed him to the role. Mr Johnson has since apologised.
“It is quite obvious this was not a good appointment and to make matters worse number 10 did not act quick enough in removing the whip after Mr Pincher resigned”, Mr Anderson wrote.
He added: “I cannot look myself in the mirror and accept this. It is my belief that our PM has got all the big decisions right and guided us through the most difficult time in my life time and I have always backed him to the hilt. That said integrity should always come first and sadly this has not been the case over the past few days.”
Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith supported the MP in a tweet on July 5:, saying “getting on with the job #BackBoris.”
Mansfield MP Ben Bradley, also the Conservative leader of Nottinghamshire County Council has so far not commented.
Nottinghamshire’s other Conservative MPs; Gedling’s Tom Randall, Sherwood’s Mark Spencer, Rushcliffe’s Ruth Edwards and Broxtowe’s Darren Henry, have been contacted for comment.
