Vote of no confidence may be triggered to 'save PM' before winter crisis, says Tory MP

6 May 2022, 11:03 | Updated: 6 May 2022, 11:24

Boris Johnson may trigger a vote of no confidence "to get it out the way" and secure his position as Prime Minister ahead of the winter cost of living crisis, Sir Roger Gale has claimed.

Speaking to LBC's Theo Usherwood the Tory MP suggested the Prime Minister may try and secure his position by using a "high risk strategy" of triggering a vote of no confidence, which he expects to win.

Sir Roger said: "There are big problems ahead for the Prime Minister, obviously the possibility of more fines, Sue Gray's report and then of course the biggest, the cost of living crisis and the rise in inflation, and those are very serious indeed.

"And I have heard rumours that the Prime Minister may try to put in letters to trigger a vote of no confidence now in the hope of winning it rather than leaving it for a few weeks and finding he might loose.

"That would be a very high risk strategy but it could happen."

Speaking to Nick Ferrari at Breakfast Theo explained: "Number 10 might look at triggering a vote of no confidence, get it out of the way early, the PM wins, and then if there’s any trouble further down the line, well there can’t be a vote of no confidence because of course there is that six month gap where the prime minister is safe."

Read more: Tories capital punishment: Labour takes key London councils but fails to breach 'Red Wall'

'Boris Johnson should have his head in his hands'

Sir Roger continued: "I don’t think he's anywhere as popular amongst the voters as he thinks he is and certainly not in the south.

"Whether he can hold the support of the red wall seats and scrape a majority together well I don’t know.

"But what he might do is lead the end trails and say well look this is bad, but it is going to get worse.

"The cost of living crisis is going to get worse, the winter fuel costs next winter are going to be bad so could he cut and run in September October? Yes he could.

"Would he win? He might just scrape it again because at the moment the Labour party leadership is clearly very weak."

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Ferrari puts Tory Party Chair on spot over local election losses.

It comes as Boris Johnson faced an angry backlash from local Tories as the party saw key London strongholds fall to Labour while also suffering losses in councils across England.

Sir Keir Starmer hailed a "turning point" as his party strengthened its grip on the capital, taking the totemic Tory authority in Wandsworth, winning Westminster for the first time since its creation in 1964 and clinching victory in Barnet.

Scores of Tory councillors lost their seats against a backdrop of the row about lockdown-busting parties in No 10 and the cost-of-living crisis, local Conservative leaders pointed the finger of blame at the Prime Minister.

Among Tories there was anger and frustration that local councillors were paying the price for the failures of the national leadership.

But allies of Mr Johnson warned it was not the time for a change in the occupant of No 10, saying the Labour gains fell short of what was needed for the party to secure victory at a general election.