A SENIOR Conservative has claimed his colleagues are in denial about the fortunes of his party in the wake of the partygate saga.
Tobias Ellwood, speaking on Sky News this morning, urged his fellow Tories to "shake off this partisan Stockholm Syndrome" and face up to the fact that the Conservatives have suffered a blow in popularity since the scandal of parties across Downing Street emerged.
READ MORE: Former Police Scotland Chief Stephen House defends Met probe into partygate
He also said that if the trends in current polling continue, his party will lose the next General Election.
Mr Ellwood, a former minister, said: "The party is increasingly in a difficult place. This is going to be a testing summer, polling is now saying we could lose 90 seats.
“And we still seem to be in denial. It’s time to shake off this partisan Stockholm Syndrome, I believe.
“Our party brand is suffering. We will lose the next election on current trajectory as reflected in recent elections by local elections.”
He added: “And when you get the church elders in the party, such as Lord Hague, now expressing huge concern, you know, we need to listen.”
Responding to reports that the Prime Minister is to bring back imperial measurements in celebration of the Queen's jubilee, he said it was not "visionary" or "one nation Conservative thinking”.
Mr Ellwood explained: "But there is not only just a concern on the conduct of behaviour in Number 10 because that has breached the trust with the British people, it is now concerns about Number 10 thinking, what our policies are.
“What we are now seeing is an approach to shore up and chase a slice off the electorate with policies such as bringing back imperial measurements.
“There will be some people in our party which will like this nostalgic policy in the hope that it’s enough to win the next election. But this is not the case. This is not one-nation Conservative thinking that is required to appeal beyond our base.
“It’s far from the inspirational, visionary progressive thinking that we require. And it fits into a pattern I am afraid of micro-announcements that are increasingly thrown out there, which actually is sowing further discontent with with more MPs."
Calls are now being made for another inquiry into a possible second birthday party held for Boris Johnson in his flat, arranged by his wife Carrie.
Labour has called for an investigation into leaked text messages suggesting Mr Johnson and his wife, Carrie, met two friends in their flat on June 19, 2020, when indoor socialising was banned.
However Sue Gray, in her report last week, did not reveal any details of the event and said that as the police had decided not to issue any fines it had already been dealt with.
This is contradictory to her views on other events, where fines were not issued but about which she still provided details in her report.
Tory Minister Chris Philp seemed to rule out any further inquiry into the party this morning.
The junior culture, media and sport minister told Sky News: "We’ve had an unbelievably comprehensive set of investigations, going on now for nearly six months.
“There was obviously the Sue Gray investigation, published last week. She interviewed dozens if not hundreds of people in the course of her investigation, with emails, message and everything else. And we’ve had the Metropolitan police investigation, which again has gone over a number of months, and they’ve conducted that with full police powers.
“So, having had two separate investigations, including by the police, over many months, it’s not immediately obvious to me that we need any more, when this has rightly been the most investigated set of incidents in recent times.”
Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain said it was unacceptable.
She said: "The public will rightly be wondering why it appears these parties weren't properly investigated either by the Met Police or Sue Gray report."
"The privileges committee now has a duty to hold Boris Johnson to account and uncover the truth about lockdown parties in the Downing Street flat.
"The committee should request any messages or photos related to these gatherings, and summon those involved to give evidence under oath.
"The British people won't stomach another cover up by this wretched Conservative government.”
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