Boris Johnson: Aaron Bell becomes latest Tory MP to submit no-confidence letter

Aaron Bell has become the ninth MP to publicly turn on Boris Johnson and submit a letter of no confidence in the prime minister.

It's yet another blow for the PM in a damaging 24 hours which has seen a succession of five high-profile resignations from his top advisory team.

Meanwhile, leading cabinet ministers Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid publicly rebuked Mr Johnson for his incorrect claim that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions.

Mr Bell's letter of no confidence only adds to the sense of crisis surrounding the PM's premiership.

Downing Street insisted on Friday that Mr Johnson has not lost control following the departures of close aides Munira Mirza, Jack Doyle, Dan Rosenfield, Martin Reynolds and Elena Narozanski.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Bell, the representative for Newcastle-Under-Lyme, said he was "profoundly disappointed it has come to this".

He said the "breach of trust" following the Downing Street lockdown parties scandal "makes his position untenable".

It comes after he previously asked the PM "am I a fool" for following the rules and not hugging his own family at his grandmother's funeral while parties were held in Downing Street.

A further MP, former Cabinet minister David Davis, said he would consult his local party before submitting a formal letter of no confidence.

He told Times Radio: “I will recommend that we send in a letter, but I will take their views first.”

Watch: 'Am I a fool?' Tory MP tears into Boris Johnson

Davis issued a blistering attack on Johnson in January, telling him in the Commons: “In the name of God, go”.

Speaking to Times Radio on Thursday, Davis said the longer Johnson stays, the harder it will be for the next leader to rebuild.

He said: “My concern about this, as I said when I intervened two weeks ago, was that this would be a death of a thousands cuts over months or even over a year, which is what’s happened with every previous leader of the Conservative Party who has been removed; it’s taken a long time.

“And in that time the country is partially paralysed, every single issue is seen through the lens of ‘is it there to promote Boris or prop up Boris’.”

Wednesday proved to be a bruising day for the prime minister after three MPs handed in their letters in.

It is not known how many MPs have submitted letters to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee, as they are able to do so privately.

The MPs who have gone public so far are:

• Sir Gary Streeter

• Aaron Bell

• Anthony Mangall

• Tobias Ellwood

• Peter Aldous

• Andrew Bridgen

• Douglas Ross

• Sir Roger Gale

• Christian Wakeford (who submitted a letter before defecting to Labour)

Read more: Four no-confidence letters in 24 hours - The Tory MPs who want Boris Johnson gone

MPs who have also publicly called on Johnson to go - but have not confirmed if they have sent in their letters - include:

• David Davis

• Andrew Mitchell

• William Wragg

• Tim Loughton

• Caroline Nokes

The PM endured a bruising two-hour session in the House of Commons on Monday after a limited version of the Sue Gray report was released.

Johnson seemed to have been offered a temporary reprieve after an intervention from the Met Police ensured Gray made "minimal reference" to events they are investigating, meaning details of rule-breaking were suppressed.

The report concluded that there were "failures of leadership" and behaviour that was "difficult to justify".

It also confirmed that police are investigating 12 potentially criminal events.

Downing Street sources briefed the media that Johnson had managed to win many over at a meeting later that evening - but the incoming flurry of no confidence letters has thrown this in doubt.

A total of 54 Tory MPs - 15% of the parliamentary party - need to submit letters of no confidence to trigger a vote.

The party would then vote in the House of Commons on the fate of the prime minister.

If he were to win, he would remain in his position and is safe from the risk of another vote of no confidence for 12 months.

If he were to lose, then he would be ousted as party leader and the contest for a new one would begin.