DOUGLAS Ross has said Boris Johnson should not face another leadership challenge for at least a year, despite some of his fellow rebel MPs saying it should happen much sooner.
The Scottish Tory leader said he was opposed to rewriting the rules of the backbench 1922 committee to enable a rapid second attempt to oust the Prime Minister from No10.
Mr Johnson survived a confidence vote of his MPs on Monday, but the narrow winning margin of 211 to 148 in the secret ballot means he continues to face calls to resign.
With two likely byelection losses later this month and an investigation into whether he misled parliament over Partygate due in October, some rebels want a second vote within months.
But Mr Ross, the MP for Moray, said he opposed changing the rules, despite voting against Mr Johnson and saying he should now consider his position.
Speaking after FMQs, he said: “I’m someone who doesn’t believe in changing the rules midway through.
“If this was going to happen it should have happened before the result because if the Prime Minister had lost the majority of support, I wouldn’t [have been] supportive of the Prime Minister trying to get the rules changed in his favour.”
He added: “The rules are set out, that's what the party agreed on, and we have to stick by those rules.”
The chair of the 1922 committee, Sir Graham Brady, told Times Radio that it is “possible” to change the one-year grace period, but that the rule is “likely” to stay in place.
Mr Ross had previously submitted a letter of no confidence in Mr Johnson over Partygate.
He later withdrew it, saying the war in Ukraine meant it was not the time to change leader.
Mr Ross also today said that Mr Johnson would hamper his party’s election prospects.
He said: “Across the United Kingdom, we saw in the results in the May local council elections that in Scotland, England and Wales the Conservatives suffered.
“Many people said their reason not to support the Conservatives at the most recent elections was down to the Prime Minister and his conduct.
“And that’s what we’re seeing in opinion polls.”
Regarding the upcoming Westminster by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton & Honiton, he added: “Many established Conservative voters are not going to vote in these elections.
“They’re not moving away from the party, but they are making it very clear that they don’t support the Prime Minister or his actions.”
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