The Partygate drama is temporarily paused as Tory MPs wait for Sue Gray to deliver her report. But even once it is out, what happens to Boris Johnson and the Conservative party is far from clear. One Tory MP with a foot in both the rebel and loyalist camps predicts ‘trench warfare for several weeks’ as the plotters try to get the 54 letters they need for a no confidence vote in the Prime Minister.
As the rules currently stand, if Boris Johnson wins a confidence vote, he is safe for 12 months
Not all Tory MPs are convinced that submitting a letter is the right approach though. As I say in the Times today, one of the arguments being made against calling for the PM to go is that it might lead to the worst possible outcome for the party. Boris Johnson is determined to fight a no confidence vote, and his parliamentary supporters are already making preparations for it.
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