Vice chairman of influential 1922 committee submits letter of no confidence in Liz Truss

William Wragg told MPs he would like to vote with Labour to ban fracking because he is opposed to it

A Tory MP has submitted a letter to the 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady, demanding a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister.

William Wragg, who is vice chairman of the influential group of Tory backbenchers, told MPs in the Commons on Wednesday he would like to vote with Labour to ban fracking because he is opposed to it.

However, because the vote is being treated as a “confidence motion” in Liz Truss’s embattled Government, he decided not to because he would lose the whip and his letter of no confidence in the PM would “fall”.

William Wragg says he ‘cannot forgive’ government’s lack of foresight (PA)

Mr Wragg said he is “personally ashamed” by what occurred after the mini-budget and cannot tell his constituents in Hazel Grove, Greater Manchester, that “they should support our great party”.

“The lack of foresight by senior members of the Government, I cannot easily forgive,” he added.

He also said he found the “trashing” of the reputations of the Bank of England and the Office of Budget Responsibility during the Tory leadership contest to be “near Maoist in its nature”.

“Orthodoxy, Treasury orthodoxy came under attack,” he said. “I am a Conservative, I suppose orthodoxy goes hand in hand with that.”

Liz Truss has imposed a three line whip on the fracking vote (PA)

Mr Wragg told the Commons “I oppose fracking” but added: “If I vote as I would wish, then I would lose the whip.

“I would no longer be vice chair of the 1922 Committee. I would no longer maintain a position as a chair of one of the select committees of the House.

“And indeed, because of that, my letter lodged with my honourable friend, the Member for Altrincham and Sale West (Sir Graham Brady), would fall, and I wish to maintain that letter with my honourable friend.”

If I vote as I would wish, then I would lose the whip

Conservative MP William Wragg

The MP’s comments came during an opposition day debate on economic responsibility, which preceded the one on banning fracking.

The 1922 Committee’s rules stipulate that a prime minister cannot face a confidence vote during their first year in office.

Outside the one-year grace period, 15% of the parliamentary party would have to submit letters of no confidence to committee chairman Sir Graham for a vote to be held.