'Cream Tea Coup': Five More Tory MPs Reportedly Ready to Submit Letter of No Confidence in BoJo

The so-called "partygate" scandal has called the political future of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson into question, with many critics, including some from his own Conservative party, urging him to resign amid allegations of multiple parties being held in Downing Street during the coronavirus lockdowns.

Five more Tory MPs are considering joining the list of those who have already submitted their letter of no confidence in Prime Minister Boris Johnson, according to UK media reports.

The latest effort to pressure Boris Johnson to quit was dubbed the "Cream Tea Coup", due to two MPs - Sir Gary Streeter and Anthony Mangnall - being from Devon, a county in South West England famous for its signature cream tea.

Tobias Ellwood has also filed his letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson. Another five lawmakers are said to be considering doing so today, The Times said.

The number of Tory MPs who have submitted their letters varies in different UK media outlets, with Daily Mail estimating it to be 14, and BBC being aware of 17. In order for a vote on the PM's leadership to be triggered in the Conservative Party, Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee, needs to receive at least 54 letters.

Johnson is under fire due to what is publicly known as "partygate" - a slew of allegations about parties held in Downing Street from 2020 to 2021, at times when the United Kingdom had imposed strict coronavirus restrictions. The scandal began with a number of media stories about several alcohol-fuelled parties and quickly escalated into a full-scale police and civil investigation.

In late January, senior civil servant Sue Gray released a report that reviewed more than ten gatherings at No 10 that occurred between May 2020 and April 2021, accusing government officials of "serious failures of leadership and judgement".

The embattled UK PM is alleged to have attended several parties, among them a Christmas gathering, a May garden party and a "prosecco-fuelled leaving do" that took place shortly after the post-Christmas lockdown.

As the police investigation into the claims is still ongoing, No 10, including Johnson himself, has been reluctant to extensively comment on the case. The prime minister pledged to "comply with the law" if he was found guilty of breaching coronavirus rules. That would mean that the Met Police would hand him a Fixed Penalty Notice, and he would be forced to leave his post.

Despite multiple calls for his resignation, Johnson said he is "getting on with the job and I will do so for as long as I have the privilege and honour to serve in this position". Among those willing to defend the prime minister is Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries, who blasted those participating in the efforts to oust Johnson as a "handful of egos" who "want to make it all about them".