Boris Johnson confidence vote: Here's how Sussex's Conservative MPs stand

While a number of Sussex’s Tory MPs have been critical for his handing of Partygate, only two have publicly called for him to go.

They are Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, and Bognor Regis and Littlehampton’s Nick Gibb.

On Partygate, Mr Loughton said: “Obfuscation, prevarication and evasion have been the order of the day when clarity, honesty and contrition was what was needed and what the British people deserve.”

Meanwhile Mr Gibb described how his constituents’ are furious about the double standards – imposing harsh and, to my mind, necessary restrictions as we and the world sought to defend ourselves against this new and deadly virus, while at the same time flagrantly disregarding those rules within the fortress of Downing Street’.

Mr Gibb was sacked as schools minister last year after serving in the role under both David Cameron and Theresa May.

The vote, due to take place by secret ballot, has been triggered after the threshold of 54 letters sent to chair of the backbench 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady.

Several Sussex MPs hold government positions, such as Chichester’s Gillian Keegan (care minister), Mid Sussex’s Mims Davies (employment minister), Lewes’ Maria Caulfield (patient safety and primary care minister), Horsham’s Jeremy Quin (defence procurement minister) and Arundel and South Downs’ Andrew Griffith (minister for policy and head of the Prime Minister’s policy unit).

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions last week, Mr Griffith acknowledged there had been failings but the Prime Minister had accepted those and taken responsibility for them.

He described how he and many others had lost loved ones to Covid-19, but suggested to audience, which jeered loudly through most of his answer, that they should accept it when somebody makes a genuine apology instead of ‘constantly impugning’ people’s motives in public life 'when they are trying to do the right thing’.

In a tweet today said: “Everyone serious about fixing the big challenges our country faces should give the PM their support. The last thing anyone needs is a distracting, divisive and destructive leadership contest. We need to focus on getting on with the job and serving the country.”

Meanwhile Mrs Keegan said: “In 2019 Boris won the election with an 80 seat majority. Since then he has led on our response to Covid and is leading on supporting Ukraine in their critical time of need. These are v difficult times to navigate as we rebuild our country. The Prime Minister has my support.”

Sally-Ann Hart, Hastings and Rye MP, wrote on Twitter: “In 2019, we saw a massive majority of MPs elected for Boris Johnson’s Conservatives reflecting a realignment of politics based on 2016’s EU referendum. The PM upholds that realignment, reflecting the values of people around the country who do not live in the ‘Westminster Bubble’.”

Mrs Davies said: “I’ve been very clear- I am in no doubt we have a very significant mountain to climb to fix this & all eyes are on this action & what the plan is.

“I know the PM is fully committed to doing so. He reiterated this in the 1922 committee today. It’s time to ‘unite, serve & deliver’ as he said this afternoon. I do hope tonight means we get to do just that-as then we can rightly get on with tackling issues & serving our country.

"I know from the many emails & conversations locally that people feel very strongly in all directions. Our party is more than one person or moment in time. By being a team of one nation @Conservatives we will succeed & we can continue to deliver & take the country forward together.”

Crawley MP Henry Smith said in a statement: “In April I supported a Commons motion which was passed by the whole House referring to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee an investigation as to whether the Prime Minister earlier misled MPs about if he knowingly attended a Downing Street gathering in 2020 against Covid-19 restrictions. I want to see this Committee commence work without delay and come to a final judgement; that is the correct procedure that should be respected and observed.

“This is a moment to reflect on the past three years of Boris Johnson’s leadership as Prime Minister, and whilst I have not agreed with every decision, indeed voting against several myself in the House of Commons, I believe the significant policies taken have been proven right:

“After almost four years of delay and deadlock, finally delivering the British people’s democratic decision to exit the EU, with over 70 trade agreements signed since and now record high investment in the NHS;

“A world leading Covid-19 vaccination programme that allowed the UK to re-open sooner than most other countries, so resulting in post-pandemic economic recovery with unemployment now remarkably lower than at any other time since the mid-1970s;

“Global leadership on the environment with a successful COP26 Conference last year, and of particular importance to me, significant new animal welfare protections, for example with sentience now enshrined in law;

“An international lead shown by the UK Prime Minister on both defensive and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine following Russia’s Putin regime aggressively invading that democratic, sovereign nation;

“A comprehensive set of measures to support people with cost of living pressures caused by global events which amount to more support than in comparable countries like France, Germany or Italy;

“Of relevance to Crawley constituency, over £21 million so far received in levelling-up funding to help boost job creation, business growth and economic recovery for our town.

“Tonight I will be supporting the continuation of this important work and for parliamentary due process to properly conclude.”