MP Huw Merriman submits letter calling for Boris Johnson to resign while grilling him at Liaison Committee

A Tory MP submitted a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson while grilling him during the Liaison Committee live from the Commons.

Huw Merriman, chairman of the Transport Select Committee, tweeted his letter on Wednesday afternoon while seated several metres away from the Prime Minister.

Announcing he had lost confidence in Mr Johnson, the Tory MP wrote: “I now believe the Prime Minister’s position is untenable and I can no longer support his continued leadership”.

He said “events of the past few days” have demonstrated further failures by Mr Johnson “in terms of judgement, competency and integrity”.

A flurry of resignation letters were lodged during Mr Johnson’s appearance at the committee, where he was grilled on defence, the Ukraine war and the cost of living crisis, before MPs turned to the matter of ethics in relation to Chris Pincher allegations.

The Prime Minister was likely unaware that Mr Merriman had withdrawn his support several minutes before the two exchanged questions and answers.

But in a heated exchange between the pair, Mr Merriman said the Prime Minster’s personal blunders were causing “inertia” at the heart of Government.

“Nonsense,” Mr Johnson replied.

In the bruising appearance, Mr Johnson was also forced to fight off various jabs at his premiership from MPs across the political spectrum.

“The game’s up. Will you be Prime Minister tomorrow?” asked SNP’s Angus MacNeil, to which Mr Johnson replied: “Of course.”

The Prime Minister declined to comment on whether Michael Gove, long considered one of Mr Johnson’s closest allies, had personally approached him this afternoon and told him to step down.

The Housing Secretary is understood to have told Mr Johnson that he should quit ahead of Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.

Labour MP Darren Jones told Mr Johnson he was “hurting people” by staying in office. He also read out a lengthy quote about leaders overstaying their welcome, later revealing it was written by the Prime Minister himself.

“In all sincerity, and I know this must be difficult for you personally, but this is not a game,” he told the Prime Minister.

“You are hurting people… Surely you must know that it’s in the country’s interest for you to leave now.”

Mr Johnson attempted to shrug off the attack, admitting that the UK was “going through tough times”.

“You’re making a point about duty. I look at the issues we face today… I look at the biggest war in Europe for 80 years, and I cannot see for the life of me how it is responsible to just walk away like that,” he told the Committee.

This story is being updated