Katy Balls Katy Balls

Inside Boris Johnson’s showdown with Tory MPs

After Tory MPs spent the afternoon laying into Boris Johnson over Sue Gray’s summary of her report, the Prime Minister finds himself in a much more fragile position than when he started the day. Tonight he addressed Tory MPs at a meeting of the 1922 committee. Given Johnson’s Commons appearance rattled MPs rather than improving relations, Johnson went into the meeting on the backfoot. The demand to hear the PM speak was so great that MPs arriving late were turned away.

The demand to hear the PM speak was so great that MPs arriving late were turned away

Johnson began the meeting by telling MPs he had a really torrid time in the Commons chamber and needed to do a better job of explaining how seriously he took Covid, given it did ‘nearly kill me’. The Prime Minister went on to announce a number of measures to win around Tory MPs. These included publishing the Sue Gray report in full following the police investigation (something he refused to commit to in the chamber), reform 1922 policy groups and bring election guru Lynton Crosby back on a regular basis to offer advice. It was the last commitment that won one of the biggest cheers of the night.

As for the Q&A, it was a mixed bag. Red wall MPs including Jonathan Gullis asked supportive questions, suggesting the more important focus was levelling up and the cost of living. Meanwhile, hostile questions came from MPs including Roger Gale, who suggested the Prime Minister learn from Margaret Thatcher and focus on being a statesman rather than a lawbreaker. The least popular point of the night came from a 2019 MP who suggested the postponed Tory party away day is rescheduled to bring the party together. The suggestion was met with groans. A sign the party remains divided and Johnson’s future is in the air. 

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in