Boris Johnson faced an outburst of distilled anger from once loyal ally Jesse Norman in the hours before a leadership vote was announced, as the MP and writer said on Monday that he could no longer support the prime minister.
The former Treasury minister listed a catalogue of reasons to abandon the support he had given Mr Johnson since 2007, citing the Sue Gray report into the Partygate crisis and describing the prime minister's reaction to its findings as “grotesque”.
He added that the government's efforts to revise the Brexit Northern Irish Protocol would be “economically very damaging, politically foolhardy and almost certainly illegal.”
“You are the leader of the Conservative and Unionist party, yet you are putting the Union itself gravely at risk,” he said.
And he said the government’s Rwanda deportation policy was “ugly, likely to be counterproductive and of doubtful legality”.
Mr Johnson is set to face a vote of confidence later on Monday, after growing criticism of his leadership over the “partygate” scandal and a hostile reception at Platinum Jubilee events at the weekend when he was booed.
“I have always been deeply committed to public service,” Mr Norman, a former junior finance minister, said in a letter to Mr Johnson that he published on Twitter.
“But recent events have served to clarify the position this country is in under your leadership, beyond any doubt; and I am afraid I can see no circumstances in which I could serve in a government led by you.”
At least 54 politicians have already said they have requested that the chairman of the party's 1922 Committee, Graham Brady, trigger a confidence vote, to be held later on Monday.
Mr Norman said he had also submitted a letter, citing “casual lawbreaking” at Downing Street when Covid-19 rules were breached with lockdown gatherings, and the questionable legality of his Brexit and immigration policies, among other factors.
“People are crying out for good government … neither the Conservative Party nor this country can afford to squander the next two years adrift and distracted by endless debate about you and your leadership,” he wrote.
“For you to prolong this charade by remaining in office not only insults the electorate, and the tens of thousands of people who support, volunteer, represent and campaign for our party; it makes a decisive change of government at the next election much more likely. That is potentially catastrophic for this country.”
Boris Johnson through the years - in pictures
