A north-east Conservative politician says Boris Johnson should resign – stating MSPs will “make up their own minds”.
Douglas Lumsden spoke out again despite party leader Douglas Ross refusing to call for the PM’s resignation in the wake of the damning Sue Gray report on behaviour in Downing Street.
The Tory MSP said Mr Ross is “almost in an impossible situation” as leader of the Conservative Party in Scotland.
But he said MSPs will decide for themselves.
I think the worst part of the report is how they were treating cleaners and security staff.
– Douglas Lumsden
Mr Lumsden told us: “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’ 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.”
This is at odds with his party leader in Scotland who is still officially backing the prime minister because of the war in Ukraine.
Mr Ross said Mr Johnson “should step down” when the war is over.
Sue Gray report
Mr Lumsden’s remarks come in the wake of the publication of the Sue Gray report which found “failures of leadership and judgment in No 10 and the Cabinet Office”.
The senior civil servant said she learned of multiple examples of “unacceptable” treatment of security and cleaning staff during her investigation.
The prime minister apologised in the Commons and said he was “appalled by some of the behaviour, particularly in the treatment of the security and the cleaning staff”.
Mr Lumsden said: “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.”
Former minister Andrea Leadsom is one of the latest senior Tories to criticise Boris Johnson for his “unacceptable failings of leadership”.
In a letter to her constituents, she said she believed it is “extremely unlikely that senior leaders were unaware of what was going on”.
A stream of backbenchers have called on Mr Johnson to go after Ms Gray’s report laid bare a hard-drinking culture at the heart of government while raising renewed claims he misled parliament.
Restore confidence
The Tory MP added: “Each of my Conservative MP colleagues and I must now decide individually on what the right course of action that will restore confidence in our government.”
Under party rules, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady must call a vote of confidence in Mr Johnson’s leadership if 54 Tory MPs – 15% of the parliamentary party – submit a letter calling for one.
By Tuesday, more than 25 MPs had publicly called on the prime minister to stand down – although not all of them have said whether they have written to Sir Graham.