A former Tory MP says he believes Boris Johnson is now “finished”, as pressure grows and grows on the embattled British prime minister.
Revelations around parties at Downing Street during lockdown have continued to emerge - including reports this week about an alleged event held to coincide with Mr Johnson’s birthday in June 2020, when indoor events still weren’t allowed.
Mr Johnson has previously admitted he attended a garden party at Downing Street in May 2020, claiming he believed it was a work event.
In a major development, the Met Police confirmed yesterday they are now investigating a number of events at Downing Street and Whitehall to see if they were in breach of COVID-19 rules.
Meanwhile, the report by senior civil servant Sue Gray on the parties is expected to be published as soon as today or tomorrow.
A number of Tory MPs have said they’re holding off on deciding whether to submit a letter of no confidence in Mr Johnson until they’ve seen that report.
However, Dominic Grieve - a former Tory MP and UK attorney general - told Newstalk Breakfast he believes it’s now time for the British PM to go.
He said: “I think he’s finished. It may take time because he’s not someone who’s going to leave voluntarily.
“The reality is he’s a prime minister that, whatever his attractions may have been, is unreliable, dishonest, incapable of following rules which he imposes on other people but doesn’t follow himself.
“He’s been rumbled, and I don’t see how the Conservative party will recover from this unless they get rid of him.
“If they keep him, in the belief that somehow the public are going to ignore all this… I think they’ll be in for a very unpleasant surprise when it comes to local elections in May.”
He said Tories face a “crisis” directly centered on the character and personality of the prime minister.
He suggested the party would be “far better” to get rid of him quickly, or otherwise run the risk of being “sullied” with his behaviour.
Mr Grieve said he doesn’t see Mr Johnson surviving the next six months, but it would be “much better for everybody” if he’s gone within the next fortnight.
