Conservative MP Tim Loughton says "the game is up" for Boris Johnson following the resignations of Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak.
Mr Loughton says he expects more senior ministers to resign as pressure mounts on the PM over the Chris Pincher row, which has seen No 10 accused of changing the story regarding the PM's awareness of sexual misconduct allegations facing the MP.
He told GB News: "It needed some senior ministers to resign to start the process, the one thing that has been missing in recent weeks is ministers deciding they can no longer go on defending the indefensible.
"Hats off to Rishi and Sajid for having taken initiative this evening and I'm sure there will be a number more to follow, unless Boris does see the writing on the wall, the game is up and I'm afraid we need a new prime minister."
Conservative MP Tim Loughton praised the resigning ministers for 'taking initiative'.
Image: GB News
Both Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak took to Twitter to announce their resignations with a letter for the Prime Minister.
Mr Sunak said “the public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously”, adding “I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.”
Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid's resignations has prompted further pressure on the PM.
Image: PA
In an incendiary letter, Mr Javid said the British people “expect integrity from their government” but voters now believed Mr Johnson’s administration was neither competent nor “acting in the national interest”.
The resignations came as Mr Johnson was forced into a humiliating apology over his handling of the Chris Pincher row after it emerged he had forgotten about being told of previous allegations of “inappropriate” conduct.
Mr Pincher quit as deputy chief whip last week following claims that he groped two men at a private members’ club, but Mr Johnson was told about allegations against him as far back as 2019.
The Prime Minister acknowledged he should have sacked Mr Pincher when he was told about the claims against him when he was a Foreign Office minister in 2019, but instead Mr Johnson went on to appoint him to other government roles.
Asked if that was an error, Mr Johnson said: “I think it was a mistake and I apologise for it. In hindsight it was the wrong thing to do.
“I apologise to everybody who has been badly affected by it. I want to make absolutely clear that there’s no place in this Government for anybody who is predatory or who abuses their position of power.”
The Prime Minister’s authority had already been damaged by a confidence vote which saw 41% of his MPs vote against him.