Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage calls on prime minister Boris Johnson to resign as she submits letter of no confidence

The Gosport MP said the prime minister’s leadership has fallen into 'disrepute' through a 'catalogue of recent events', culminating in the 'unforgivable mishandling' of the the row over MP Chris Pincher’s behaviour.

Ms Dinenage, who served as a minister for six years, has now submitted a letter of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, which can force a vote of no confidence.

Mr Johnson previously survived a no-confidence earlier this year, when a total of 148 Tory MPs – representing 41 per cent of Conservative MPs in the House of Commons – voted against him.

In her letter published online, Ms Dinenage said the government had a ‘strong record’ – but it was being ‘significantly overshadowed’ by recent events.

She said: ‘I am writing to share my deep regret that I no longer have confidence in our Prime Minister.

‘This Government has a strong record on some of the biggest challenges we have faced as a country, not least in our world-beating Covid vaccine roll-out and our support for Ukraine.

‘However, the catalogue of recent events, concluding with the unforgivable mishandling of (the Chris Pincher row), have significantly overshadowed these achievements and, in my view, have brought the Prime Minister's leadership into disrepute.’

The former care minister – who also served as a minister in the department of digital, culture, media, and sport until September 2021 – said she had served Mr Johnson as a minister and MP with integrity and loyalty.

She added: ‘However, my priorities will always be my loyalty to my constituents, the Conservative Party and this country and I am sorry to say that I no longer believe the Prime Minister is governing in the best interests of any of them.’

It comes as more than 15 ministers have resigned in the wake of the prime minister losing the support and accepting the resignations of former chancellor Rishi Sunak and former health secretary on Tuesday.

And a slew of cabinet members – including the home secretary Priti Patel and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng – are reported to have told Mr Johnson to stand down.