Boris Johnson faces fresh blow with EIGHTH Tory letter of no confidence – but defiant PM vows to deliver change

BORIS Johnson has been delivered a fresh blow after yet another Tory MP demanded he quit over the Partygate storm.

Aaron Bell becomes the eighth to publicly confirm they'd submitted a letter of no confidence - although 13 have broken ranks to call for the PM to resign.

In a stinging broadside, the Red Waller called Mr Johnson's position "untenable" over this "breach of trust" involved with Partygate.

He said he was "profoundly disappointed" in Mr Johnson after backing him to become leader in 2019 - and revealed he submitted a letter last month.

In a statement, he said: "I believe it is in the country's best interests that this matter is resolved as soon as possible."

His letter pushes the total towards the 54 threshold that would trigger a confidence vote and force Mr Johnson to fight for his political life.

In major developments:

• The PM lost five of his most senior advisers in a chaotic 24 hours
• But quoting the Lion King, he told staff that "change is good"
• No10 insisted relations with Rishi Sunak were still "good"
• Mr Johnson decamped to Chequers to take stock after a rough week

Mr Bell publicly skewered the the PM in the Commons this week, asking if he thought he was a "fool" for sticking to the rules during lockdown.

The emotional MP said he he had been following social distancing rules at his grandmother's funeral in 2020.

In his statement, Bell said he had submitted his letter after their clash earlier this week, but only made it public after discussions with his local party.

His addition means Mr Johnson is edging closer to facing a vote of no confidence in his leadership if 54 of his 360 Conservative lawmakers submit a letter to the party's 1922 Committee.

The letters are confidential, so only chairman Sir Graham Brady knows how many have actually been submitted.

But so far eight have stated publicly they have written one.

This includes Roger Dale, Douglas Ross, Andrew Bridgen, Peter Aldous, Tobias Ellwood, Anthony Mangnall, Gary Streeter and now Aaron Bell.

They each agreed the PM's position was "no longer tenable" and that their action was best for the country.

The true number of letters may well be higher, and more are expected over the weekend.

Earlier attempts to coordinate a rebellion against the PM, dubbed the "Pork Pie Plot", failed to reach the magic number.

But increasingly MPs anticipate the 54 mark will be hit "organically" as more and more submit letters off their own bat.

In an attempt to win back some trust, Mr Johnson today offered an olive branch to his backbenchers.

In a letter to all Conservative MPs detailing how he hopes to improve the way Downing Street and the government more broadly works, he wrote: "I promised change and that is what we will now deliver together."

It follows his attempt to put a brave face on earlier following the bombshell resignation of five top aides.

In a rallying cry to Downing Street staff, the PM quoted the Lion King saying that "change is good".

This morning, culture secretary and Boris Johnson ally Nadine Dorries came to the beleaguered Prime Minister's aid, insisting that "97% of Tory MPs" were still behind him.

She told Sky News: "I can promise you that the vast, vast majority of those MPs, 97% of them will be out in their constituencies today... delivering on the promises they made to their constituents and Boris Johnson has made to them."

Dismissing the rebels as "an absolute minority in the Conservative Party," she went on: "Boris Johnson delivered, and MPs know that, the biggest majority since Margaret Thatcher.

"He has continued to deliver, particularly in those Red Wall and northern constituencies.

"It's OK for those MPs that have safe majorities, but those MPs out in those marginal seats are working incredibly hard and they do not make up the vast majority of the Conservative Party."