Julian Sturdy becomes the next MP to call on Boris to go

The Conservative MP for York Outer, Julian Study, has this afternoon become the latest Conservative MP to call on the prime minister to resign.

In a statement released on Twitter, Mr Sturdy said, “I am now unable to give the prime minister the benefit of the doubt, and I feel it is now in the public interest for him to resign”.

Mr Sturdy becomes the first ‘fresh’ Conservative MP to call on the PM to go since the publication of the Sue Gray report earlier today.  In doing so Mr Sturdy becomes the 21st Conservative MP (from a total of 358) to openly call on the prime minister to resign.

Mr Sturdy’s announcement will not be seen as a major surprise given his past remarks on partygate.

A straight talking Yorkshireman, Mr Sturdy had previously said that claims that the Downing Street garden party was a work related event won’t wash with the public.

He had also previously said, that,‘I dismiss allegations that the public want to move on from ‘partygate’ saying his constituents ‘want answers and they deserve them’.

Mr Sturdy’s father was once a Conservative Member of the European Parliament.

On his website, Sturdy describes himself as being known for calling a ‘spade a spade’.

Tonight Boris Johnson is set to address the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers in what could yet prove to be the most significant engagement of the day for the prime minister.

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