| Another quiet week in politics then... Boris Johnson is to resign as Prime Minister after being forced out by a huge party revolt.
The Prime Minister's premiership has unravelled spectacularly over the last few days, with Midlands MPs helping pile on the pressure. And on Thursday morning, not even Mr Johnson could withstand the pressure any longer, with it being announced he would go.
He had up to that point refused to budge, even after a remarkable cabint mutiny. Mr Johnson's power may have been fading but he still found time to sack Michael Gove in one of his final acts, who had earlier told him it was time to go.
This latest, and now terminal, crisis began with allegations surrounding Tamworth MP Chris Pincher. The scandal has now brought down the Prime Minister following an admission from Mr Johnson that he had been aware of previous allegations about Mr Pincher before he was appointed deputy chief whip, despite the PM's spokesman having suggested he hadn't.
It prompted the dramatic resignations of Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary, and Bromsgrove MP, Sajid Javid. A slew of junior ministers and parliamentary aides followed, among them 'red waller' Nicola Richards, the MP for West Bromwich East, and Stafford's Theo Clarke.
Then yesterday, in a clear sign that some of the 2019 intake, most of whom had remained loyal to election-winning Mr Johnson, had turned, Birmingham Northfield MP Gary Sambrook delivered a blistering attack on the beleaguered PM during PMQs.
During an astonishing speech, Mr Sambrook claimed the Prime Minister blamed alcohol for Mr Pincher's alleged actions at London's Carlton Club and questioned why other MPs present hadn't stopped him drinking.
The Birmingham MP said Mr Johnson "always tries to blame other people for mistakes" and "that there is nothing left for him to do other than take responsibility and resign."
Solihull MP Julian Knight was among Tory MPs from across the region insisting his time was up. He said on Twitter: "When you have individual's of the calibre of my friend Sajid Javid & Rishi Sunak saying enough is enough, then I'm afraid the die is cast. It is time for the party to take a new direction."
Mr Johnson appears determined to carry on until the autumn, or whenever a successor is chosen. The race to replace Mr Johnson as Conservative leader and Prime Minister will now begin, with Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt among the frontrunners.
There are plenty of names in the frame, however, with others tipped including Sajid Javid, Ben Wallace, Nadim Zahawi, Dominic Raab and Liz Truss. |
