Graham Brady reportedly set to announce vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson by Tory MPs – live | Politics

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Former Treasury minister Jesse Norman joins calls for no confidence vote in Johnson

Jesse Norman, the Tory MP and former Treasury minister, has announced that he has written to Sir Graham Brady calling for a no confidence vote in Boris Johnson.

I have supported Boris Johnson for 15 years, for the London Mayoralty and for PM. Very sadly, I have written to him to say I can no longer do so, for the reasons set out below. pic.twitter.com/0Mjs4hjeSF

— Jesse Norman (@Jesse_Norman) June 6, 2022

This brings the number of Conservative MPs who have publicly said they have submitted a letter calling for a no confidence vote close to 30. But there are thought to be just as many MPs who have submitted letters who have done so in secret. Here is the Specatator’s tally from last week, and this was from Tom Larkin at Sky News.

Shiny new spreadsheet, now with EXTRA exciting data:

😡43 MPs questioning PM’s position ❌30 don’t support him as leader👋28 calling for him to go now✒️18 confirmed letters

Plus a breakdown of Brexit votes + state of majorities. pic.twitter.com/IaMkW458YH

— Tom Larkin (@TomLarkinSky) June 1, 2022

This is what Sir Graham Brady said last week when asked if he had already received 54 letters calling for a no confidence vote. “I’ll retain my discretion,” he said.

This was generally taken as being an elaborate way of saying ‘no comment’. But it might also have been a reference to the considerable flexibility (discretion) Brady has as chairman of the 1922 Committee to interpret the leadership contest rules. There are formal rules, but they are not published by the 1922 Committee, which leaves it up to the chairman to decide exactly how they are implemented. There has been speculation that the threshold of 54 letters was reached last week, but that Brady decided to hold off an announcement until today so as not to distract from the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Reports Graham Brady to announce threshold for vote has been reached

Good morning. After four days of tributes to the nation’s much-loved head of state, attention focuses to the head of government, Boris Johnson, who is held in rather lower esteem than the Queen – both at home and across the world – and who now seems almost certain to face a no confidence vote of Tory MPs within the next day or two.

A vote of no confidence has to take place when Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the backbench Conservative 1922 Committee, receives letters demanding one from 15% of Tory MPs (which at the moment means 54 of them). There are reports that Brady is set to announce that this threshold has been met within the hour.

This is from ITV’s Paul Brand.

BREAKING: Tory rebels expect Sir Graham Brady to make a statement this morning announcing that there will be a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson.

Only Brady knows the exact details, but this is as certain as anyone has sounded that a vote is on.

— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) June 6, 2022

If the format follows previous occasions then Sir Graham Brady will make a short statement to the cameras. A secret ballot of Tory MPs would then follow within days.

It’s only happening when Sir Graham Brady says so, but like I say this is sounding pretty imminent.

— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) June 6, 2022

And this is from Lucy Fisher from Times Radio.

BREAKING: A confidence vote in Boris Johnson is set to be announced this morning, I understand.

Sir Graham Brady is expected to make a statement to camera around 8am confirming that the threshold of 54 letters has been met, I’m told.

— Lucy Fisher (@LOS_Fisher) June 6, 2022

The Tory MP Sir Roger Gale told the Today program a few minutes ago that Brady is “tight as a clam” and he has not yet confirmed that an announcement is coming. But broadcasters often tend to hear about these things first (they need to get cameras in place) and at Westminster the assumption is that a vote is now happening. The last time Brady announced a no confidence vote in a PM (Theresa May), he did so in an announcement at 8am.

Today I will almost exclusively be focusing on the Tory leadership crisis, but there are two events on the agenda worth noting.

11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.

1.30pm: Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, gives evidence to the Commons Treasury committee on the cost of living.

I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone.

If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. I’m on @AndrewSparrow.

Alternatively, you can email me at [email protected].

Updated at 07.49 BSTE

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