Adding up the letters demanding a vote on Boris Johnson’s future

Keeping track of the numbers of Conservative MPs who are prepared to get rid of the prime minister is like working in the dark, writes John Rentoul

Party hangover: Johnson is nervous about his future (Getty)

It is a bit like that scene from a family car on a long drive that was enacted by Eddie Murphy as the voice of Donkey in Shrek 2: “Are we there yet?” No, we are not there yet, because Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 Committee, has not stepped in front of the TV cameras to announce that he has received 54 letters from Conservative MPs requesting a vote of confidence in Boris Johnson’s leadership.

But the question is going to go on being asked. At the time of writing, about 30 MPs have said publicly that Johnson should go, of whom about half have said that they have written a letter. I assume that they are like a kind of reverse iceberg: there is a smaller number of undeclared MPs who will have written or emailed their request, possibly including Sir Graham himself, who clashed with the prime minister repeatedly over coronavirus restrictions.

There are other MPs who have not quite called for the prime minister to go, but who have issued cryptic statements. Andrew Jones said “nobody should doubt my unhappiness” but that “correspondence with the ‘22 is confidential”. Robert Largan said: “I am taking the appropriate action to defend integrity in public life.” And Tom Tugendhat, who said he would be a candidate if there were a Tory leadership election, wouldn’t answer when asked in a radio interview several weeks ago if he had put in a letter.