Three other Conservative MPs made clear their displeasure with Mr Johnson’s leadership on Monday, stepping up new pressure on the prime minister following blockade violations.
Former Attorney General Jeremy Wright said the violation of the Covid Act had caused “real and lasting damage” to the government’s “authority”.
“Therefore, I regretfully conclude that, for the good of this and future governments, the prime minister must resign,” he said in a statement longer than 2,000 words.
Elliott Colburn, a Tory MP from Carshalton and Wallington, confirmed that he had submitted a letter of no confidence to Mr Johnson. He did not make a statement.
Mr Colburn entered parliament for the first time in the 2019 election, defeating his Liberal Democrat rival by just 629 votes, meaning he faces a tough re-election battle.
Nicki Aiken, a former Tory vice president who also has a small majority, said in a letter to voters that Mr Johnson must convene a vote of confidence on his own to end the speculation.
Ms. Aiken said she was “distrustful and equally appalled” by the findings of Gray’s report. She once chaired the Westminster Council, which Labor won control of this month.
Andrew Bridgen, another Tory MP and a longtime critic of Mr Johnson, confirmed that his letter of no confidence had been sent again after he was removed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the elected Foreign Affairs Committee, reportedly told voters that Partygate was showing a “lack of respect” for the British people. He failed to publicly call for his resignation.
To provoke an automatic vote of confidence in Mr Johnson, 54 Tory MPs must submit a letter of no confidence to the 1922 commission, which consists of Tory jurors.
What happens if 54 deputies submit letters of no confidence
Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the committee, is collecting the letters. They can be filed secretly. Only when the threshold of 54 letters is reached does it announce development.
It is not always clear in the public space exactly how many letters have been submitted, given that some MPs who want to resign do not submit a letter, and others – without fanfare.
With nearly 30 Tory MPs publicly calling for Mr Johnson’s resignation, the political danger is real. More than 10 have come out publicly calling for his resignation following the publication of Gray’s report.
If a no-confidence vote is launched, the 359 Conservative MPs will receive a positive decision on the prime minister’s fate.
Just a majority of MPs will have to vote to say they do not trust him. The votes are cast anonymously, which means that ministers and even cabinet ministers can vote on Mr Johnson’s death without being identified, making predictions difficult.
“Letters will arrive” before the summer
On Monday, Carl Les, the leader of Rishi Sunak’s local council, was among the Tories urging Johnson to leave.
Mr Les, the Conservative leader of the North Yorkshire County Council, said: “I am very disappointed that the strong majority we had in North Yorkshire has shrunk to a working majority, but only many of the comments we received on the threshold were for the impact of partygate.
Dominic Cummings, a former senior adviser to Mr Johnson, predicted that a vote of leadership was imminent, writing: “I still think the letters will come before MPs get up for the summer.
An MP urging Johnson to go public said he was aware of colleagues who had sent letters of no confidence but did not say they were doing so in public.
The rebel MP told The Telegraph that there would be no change in the prime minister’s fate, saying: “People need to wake up and smell the coffee.”
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