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Tory MP Anthony Mangnall accused Boris Johnson of “mistruths” this afternoon and announced he has submitted a letter of no confidence, adding him to the growing list of Conservative rebels calling for the PM to go.
“At this time I can no longer support the PM,” Mr Mangnall wrote on Twitter. “His actions and mistruths are overshadowing the extraordinary work of so many excellent ministers and colleagues.”
It follows former minister Tobias Ellwood’s announcement earlier on Wednesday that he was also sending a letter to 1922 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady –54 of which are needed to trigger a leadership vote.
Meanwhile, levelling up secretary Michael Gove has delivered his long-awaited statement to MPs on how the government intends to close the gap between richer and poorer regions. Lisa Nandy, his shadow counterpart, accused ministers of not only lacking in new money, but of energy, claiming they had borrowed ideas first put forward by then-PM Gordon Brown in 2008.
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Priti Patel admits there are no safe and legal routes for asylum seekers crossing the Channel
Sam Hancock2 February 2022 16:20
Cummings says PM blamed him to avoid arguments with wife Carrie
The latest Dominic Cummings claims are in. Boris Johnson’s former adviser says the PM used to blame him for things as a means of avoiding arguments with his wife.
Mr Cummings and Carrie Johnson are thought to have been at odds when the former worked for the prime minister, with regular negative briefings to Conservative-supporting newspapers presumed to have come from both sides.
Giving an example of an interview he supposedly blocked Mrs Johnson from taking part in, Mr Cummings said when he confronted the PM, he was met with a “guilty face and the smile”.
Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has more:
Sam Hancock2 February 2022 16:10
‘Government gives north £1 back for every £12 taken,’ claims Rayner
The criticism of Boris Johnson’s long-awaited levelling up strategy doesn’t end there.
Labour’s deputy leader claims the entire notion is just “an empty phrase from a government totally out of ideas”.
Condemning the government for focusing too much on the future, rather than the current issues communities are facing, Angela Rayner added: “People don’t need a 1-year plan, they need a government working for them right now.”
Sam Hancock2 February 2022 15:57
Sketch: Johnson’s Ponzi scheme of promises comes crashing down
Boris Johnson’s MPs are in the process of asking themselves if he is worth the continued trouble, writes Tom Peck.
His life is a cliched sitcom in which everyone he meets has just changed the subject, and nowhere more so than in…
Read More: Boris Johnson latest news: PM hit by more no-confidence letters