Crunch by-elections ‘set for July 20’ after Boris Johnson quit in protest at Partygate probe – but Nadine Dorries ‘is holding back on sending resignation letter’
Rishi Sunak is facing a summer crunch with the by-elections triggered by his open warfare with Boris Johnson.
The government is set to move the writs today for two Commons contests following the dramatic resignations of Mr Johnson and his ally Nigel Adams.
The date is likely to be Thursday July 20, with the Tories desperately struggling to cling on in the seats.
But the timing for a third by-election remains unclear, with Nadine Dorries having announced she is quitting in a bitter row over peerages – but yet to make her departure official.
Keir Starmer will make hay over the civil war wracking in the Conservatives when he faces off against Mr Sunak at PMQs this lunchtime.
However, an anticipated showdown over the Privileges Committee report into whether Mr Johnson misled the House on Partygate has been delayed. The MPs were expected to release their findings over the past few days, but the process has been beset by last-minute wrangling and printing issues.
Keir Starmer will make hay over the civil war wracking in the Conservatives when he faces off against Rishi Sunak (pictured) at PMQs this lunchtime
The current and former premiers have been openly exchanging barbs after Downing Street published Mr Johnson’s long-awaited resignation honours list on Friday.
Neither Ms Dorries nor Mr Adams – both former Cabinet ministers – appeared on the roll. That sparked furious claims that Mr Sunak had shut them out of the appointments process, something he flatly denies.
The PM suggested earlier this week that Mr Johnson wanted him to ignore the recommendations of the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
Mr Johnson said he was talking ‘rubbish’ and his camp accused Mr Sunak of having ‘secretly blocked’ the peerages of Ms Dorries and other allies.
Chief Whip Simon Hart is expected to move a ‘writ’ for the by-elections in Uxbridge & South Ruislip and Selby and Ainsty seat today.
Ms Dorries has accused Mr Sunak of ‘duplicitously and cruelly’ blocking her elevation to the House of Lords.
The Tories are keen to limit political fallout by holding all three contests on the same day, as the party trails in the polls.
The Privileges Committee has blamed Mr Johnson submitting representations at 11.57pm on Monday for the delay to its report.
The government is set to move the writs today for two Commons contests following the dramatic resignations of Boris Johnson (pictured running this morning) and his ally Nigel Adams
The ex-PM warned last night that he would never accept the ‘absurdly unfair’ findings.
In a fresh broadside, he vowed to ‘make my views clear’ to the world when they finally publish their ‘nonsense’ report into claims he lied to parliament.
The committee, with a Labour chair but a Tory majority among the seven members, is understood to have ruled that Mr Johnson deliberately lied to MPs when he said lockdown gatherings in No 10 did not breach Covid rules.
Parliamentary sources have said the committee’s findings are likely to be released tomorrow.
MPs could vote on the conclusions on Monday night, although some committee members are said to be arguing that there is no need to bring the report before the Commons given Mr Johnson has already quit.
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