Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, today called for Boris Johnson to quit over the "partygate" scandal as he told the Prime Minister: "The gig is up."
The Tory MP said that if Mr Johnson held "any other office of senior responsibility" or a senior role in the private sector "he would be long gone" after he was fined for breaking his own Covid rules.
Mr Baker said ousting a sitting prime minister is "an extremely grave matter" and "that is why I have been tempted to forgive".
But he told the House of Commons he had now concluded that will not be possible as he added: "I have to say that for not obeying the letter and the spirit, and I think we have heard that the Prime Minister did know what the letter was, the Prime Minister now should be long gone."
Mr Baker made the comments after the Government performed a humiliating U-turn as it dropped its bid to delay a decision on whether to refer Mr Johnson to the Privileges Committee over claims he misled Parliament.
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Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, has called for Boris Johnson to resign.
Speaking in the House of Commons, the senior Tory MP said: "I am afraid I am now in a position where I have to acknowledge that if the Prime Minister occupied any other office of senior responsibility, if he was a secretary of state, if he was a minister of state, a parliamentary under secretary, a permanent secretary, a director general, if he was the chief executive of a private company or a board director he would be long gone.
"The reason that he is not long gone is because removing a sitting prime minister is an extremely grave matter and goodness knows people will know I have had something to do with that too.
"It is an extremely grave matter, an extremely big decision and it tends to untether history and all of us should approach such things with reverence and awe and an awareness of the difficulty of doing it and the potential consequences.
"That is why I have been tempted to forgive. But I have to say now, the possibility of that really for me has gone.
"I have to say, I am sorry, that for not obeying the letter and the spirit, and I think we have heard that the Prime Minister did know what the letter was, the Prime Minister now should be long gone.
"I will certainly vote for this motion but really the Prime Minister should just know the gig is up."
The Labour motion would trigger an investigation by the Privileges Committee into whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament over the "partygate" scandal.
The Committee would not begin "substantive consideration" of the matter until the Metropolitan Police has concluded its inquiries.
Here is the motion in full:
Chris Bryant, the Labour chairman of the Privileges Committee, yesterday announced he would recuse himself from any probe into Boris Johnson because he had recently publicly criticised the Prime Minister.
He said today that he understands "that the House needs to know absolutely for certain that the process will be fair".
Mr Bryant said "each generation of MPs has a special responsibility to burnish, not tarnish, the reputation of this House because we hand democracy onto a future generation and if we have undermined it, it may not last".
William Wragg, the Conservative chairman of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, said he had intended to vote against the Government's amendment.
He said "we were at risk of making a mistake, the original motion is perfectly acceptable".
Mr Wragg, who has previously called for Boris Johnson to quit, rejected the idea that there cannot be a change in leadership because of the war in Ukraine.
He said an "invasion of a sovereign nation... should not be a reason why we should accept lower standards ourselves".
He praised Mr Johnson's response to the Ukraine crisis but said he "cannot reconcile myself to the Prime Minister's continued leadership of our country and the Conservative Party".
Mr Wragg said: "I know that a number [of Tory MPs] are struggling at the moment. We have been working in a toxic atmosphere. The parliamentary party bears the scares of misjudgements of leadership. There can be few colleagues on this side of the House, I would contend, who are truly enjoying being members of Parliament at the moment. It is utterly depressing to be asked to defend the indefensible. Each time part of us withers."
He said he had "questioned my place in this party in recent months" but insisted he is "not going anywhere".
Ian Blackford, the Westminster leader of the SNP, said: "If we don't act, if we don't stop, then this Parliament will be endorsing a new normal in this Parliament and across our politics.
"A new normal where no one is held responsible, where no one is held to account and where no one, no one, ever resigns.
"That is exactly why this motion matters because it can and it will only ever become a new normal if we put up with it."
Ian Blackford, the Westminster leader of the SNP, said he is backing the Labour motion.
He told the House of Commons that "at the very heart of this scandal there is one thing that needs to be said... that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is a liar".
Mr Blackford said that "if there ever was an open and shut case this is it".
He said the "House was misled and so were the public and we were all misled deliberately because the Prime Minister knew the truth".
He added: "Not only were parties happening, not only was the law broken, the Prime Minister was at the very parties he denied had even happened."
Sir Peter Bottomley, the Conservative Father of the House, told the House of Commons he wanted to vote for the Government's amendment.
He said: "My preference would be to go with the amendment but if it is not going to be moved I can't. I think this is not the right time for the House to make a decision. I think the words of the amendment are ones that I would support and I am sorry that the House won't be able to consider them."
Sir Peter claimed Labour is seeking to use the "partygate" row to gain an advantage ahead of local elections on May 5.
He told the Commons that "some part of what is before the House today is a straight forward attempt to get party political advantage and I intend to have no part of that".
Sir Keir Starmer said "those principles that we don't mislead the House and in return we don't call each other liars in this House, they ensure that we make good decisions and avoid bad ones".
The Labour leader said: "We have a duty here today in relation to this motion and relation to these principles and if we fail in our duty the public will not forgive and forget that we have done so because this will be the Parliament that failed.
"Failed to stand up for honesty, integrity and telling the truth in politics, failed to stand up to a prime minister who seeks to turn our good faith against us and failed to stand up for our great democracy."
Sir Keir Starmer said being truthful in Parliament is one of the "fundamental pillars on which our constitution is built".
The Labour leader said "almost every family was marked" during the pandemic "by things we didn't do that we would have liked to have done".
He said anyone comparing a "partygate" fine to a parking ticket "doesn't understand what this goes to politically and emotionally".
Sir Keir Starmer said "the Prime Minister has been accused of repeatedly, deliberately and routinely misleading this House over parties held in Downing Street during lockdown".
The Labour leader said this is a "serious allegation because if it is true it amounts to contempt of Parliament".
Kicking off the debate on the Labour motion, Sir Keir Starmer said he is trying to "defend the simple principle that honesty, integrity and telling the truth matter in our politics".
The Labour leader reminded the Commons that even if the Labour motion is passed by MPs, the Privileges Committee will not begin its "substantive work" until the Metropolitan Police has concluded its investigation.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, has confirmed the Government will not be going ahead with its amendment.
He said: "Although I have selected the amendment in the name of the Minister for the Cabinet Office I understand it is now the intention of the Government not to move that amendment."
Labour MPs laughed when the decision was announced.
Sir Keir Starmer has just withdrawn comments he made at PMQs yesterday relating to Boris Johnson and the BBC (see the post below at 08.15).
Raising a point of order in the House of Commons, he said: "The Prime Minister's comments on Tuesday night to his backbenchers were briefed to journalists by his spokesperson. Those comments were reasonably interpreted by several media outlets including the Daily Telegraph as being criticisms of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the BBC for their comments and coverage of Ukraine.
"Government ministers were out on broadcast rounds yesterday morning and they didn’t seek to correct that interpretation.
"But since then the Government has corrected the record and said the Prime Minister's comments only referred to the Archbishop and not the BBC. So I’m more than happy to echo that correction and withdraw my comments of yesterday."
Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "What an utter Conservative shambles."
Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the Labour Party, said: “This is humiliating for Conservative MPs who were being pressured to vote for the government’s cover up amendment. The government knew they couldn’t win this, the Prime Minister is bang to rights.
“Tory MPs should do the right thing, respect the sacrifices that their constituents made during the pandemic, and vote in the national interest.”
The Government's decision to pull its "partygate" amendment is likely to mean one of two things.
Either ministers are confident that enough Tory MPs will vote against the original Labour motion to defeat it.
Or the Government has decided it no longer opposes the plan to launch a parliamentary probe into whether the PM misled Parliament.
The Government has decided to pull its delaying amendment this afternoon, The Telegraph understands, with Tory MPs now being given a free vote on Labour's original motion.
It represents a humiliating U-turn for ministers, with the debate due to start in just over 10 minutes.
Mark Spencer, the Commons Leader, just announced the change in whipping arrangements in the House of Commons: "The Prime Minister has indicated that he is keen for the House to decide on the business later today.
"The vote on the un-amended House business will be a free vote to all Conservative MPs and that will be the case this afternoon."
The Government has made clear that Tory MPs will be on a strict three-line-whip for today's "partygate" votes.
Peter Bone, the Tory MP for Wellingborough, has just grilled Mark Spencer, the Commons Leader, on the whipping arrangements.
Speaking during business questions in the House of Commons, Mr Bone said: "Would the Leader of the House in his new role make it absolutely clear that it is a great privilege and honour to be a member of Parliament and we exercise our vote not as a delegate but as a representative.
"And the whips' advice is what it is, advice, and people put their country first, their constituency second and their party third."
Mr Spencer would not be drawn on the issue as he said: "I thoroughly enjoyed my time as the Government chief whip and I was blessed with former chief whips not commenting on whipping and I think that the current Chief Whip deserves that privilege as well. Whipping is a matter for the Chief Whip."
Boris Johnson posed for pictures in a JCB bulldozer after being shown around a new plant in Gujarat by owner Lord Bamford, a major Tory donor.
Boris Johnson has said he hopes to agree a post-Brexit free trade deal with India “by the autumn”.
Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to a JCB factory in Gujarat, the Prime Minister said: “We’re hoping to complete another free trade agreement, with India, by the end of the year, by the autumn.”
Boris Johnson has told reporters he believes the UK and India can boost cooperation in the areas of energy and security.
Told that India is reliant on Russia for energy and weapons, Mr Johnson said: "The interesting thing is both our countries are excessively reliant on foreign hydrocarbons and we need to move away from that together.
"And so one of the things we are talking about is what we can do to build partnerships on hydrogen, on electric vehicles, on offshore wind, on all the ways you can reduce the cost of energy for people with green technology.
"There is a big opportunity there but as you rightly say there is also the opportunity for us to deepen our security and defence partnership."
Boris Johnson will meet with Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister, tomorrow and he is expected to put pressure on his counterpart over his failure to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Johnson told reporters: “Actually, if you look at what the Indians have said, they were very strong in their condemnation of the atrocities in Bucha.
"As I think everybody understands India and Russia have a historically very different relationship perhaps than Russia and the UK have had over the last couple of decades.
“We have to reflect that reality but clearly I will be talking about it to Narendra Modi.”
Boris Johnson was asked during an interview in India if he had "knowingly or inadvertently" misled the House of Commons over "partygate".
The Prime Minister replied: “Of course not. They must do whatever they want, that is their prerogative.”
Boris Johnson has defended ordering Tory MPs to torpedo a Labour plan to refer him to the Privileges Committee to examine whether he misled Parliament over "partygate".
A Government amendment would delay making a decision on whether to refer the PM to the committee until the Metropolitan Police has finished its investigation.
Speaking in India, Mr Johnson said: “I am very keen for every possible form of scrutiny and the House of Commons can do I think whatever it wants to do.
“But all I would say is I don’t think that that should happen until the investigation is completed. That is my only point.
“I have said this time and time again, let’s let the investigators do their job and then knock this thing on the head.”
He added: “All I am saying is I think what people should have is the full facts and in the meantime what I want to do is get on with the job.”
Nadhim Zahawi argued earlier this morning that MPs should follow "due process" and wait to make a decision on whether to refer Boris Johnson to the Privileges Committee (see the post below at 08.00).
Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has rejected the Education Secretary's argument.
He told Sky News: “I think he is wrong. This is actually all about bereaved families, it is all about the people who lost loved ones, who kept to the rules and they saw the person who wrote those rules not obeying them.
“He has been fined. It is really clear that he misled Parliament. When that happens the due process is it goes straight to the Privileges Committee, no delays, no obfuscation.”
Sir Ed said Tory MPs have a "patriotic duty" to oust Mr Johnson from No 10.
Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has said the UK should tell India to stop doing business with Russia.
He told Sky News: “We should be talking to them and telling them not to and asking them not to.
“But India is a very important ally for the United Kingdom and the West and we will only pull them away from Russia if we engage with them.”
Boris Johnson today announced a range of new commercial agreements between the UK and India as he arrived in the country for an official visit.
The PM is hoping to use the two-day trip to boost links between the two nations.
The Government said UK and Indian businesses have confirmed more than ￡1 billion in new investments and export deals. This will create almost 11,000 jobs across the UK.
Mr Johnson said in a statement issued overnight: "As I arrive in India today, I see vast possibilities for what our two great nations can achieve together. From next-generation 5G telecoms and AI to new partnerships in health research and renewable energy – the UK and India are leading the world."
There are no urgent questions or ministerial statements scheduled in the House of Commons this morning.
That means the debate on "partygate" should get under way at about 11.30am.
Michael Ellis, the Paymaster General, will open the debate for the Government.
Labour's motion has the support of almost every opposition party in the House of Commons.
But Boris Johnson has a working majority of 75 and all Tory MPs will be on a three-line-whip to vote with the Government.
Imposing a three-line-whip - the strictest instruction the whips can issue - means the votes are effectively being treated as matters of confidence in the Government.
Any MP who goes against a three-line-whip can expect to be punished by their party. Examples in the past have seen MPs lose the party whip, making them sit as an independent MP.
The Government's numbers advantage, whipping decision and the fact that ministers are not ruling out a vote in future on referring the PM to the Privileges Committee means the Government will almost certainly win the day and Labour will be defeated.
However, it will be interesting to see how many Tory MPs abstain - if any - because this could paint a picture of the scale of discontent on the backbenches.
Labour's motion would tell the Privileges Committee to launch an investigation into whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament over "partygate". However, the Committee would not start "substantive consideration" of the matter until the Metropolitan Police has concluded its investigation.
The Government's amendment would delete the key parts of Labour's motion and replace them with a statement which says MPs should consider the issue of whether to refer the PM to the Privileges Committee only after the police investigation has finished and Sue Gray has published her report.
It states that "a decision on whether to refer the matter of the Prime Minister's responses to the House in relation to those events in the Cabinet Office and No 10 Downing Street to the Committee on Privileges should be taken at such time as that Police investigation has officially concluded and the report following the Cabinet Office investigation has been published".
In simple terms it proposes delaying making a decision.
It was suggested to Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, during his interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that some voters may want to move on from the "partygate" scandal to allow Boris Johnson to focus on more pressing issues.
Mr Streeting said: "It is really clear from consistent surveys and polls now and what people are finding on the doorstep including Conservative local elections candidates who have been speaking up about the Prime Minister’s conduct that Boris Johnson is a part of the problem. In fact, in so many of these cases, the fundamental problem.
“It is not just that he broke the rules that he imposed on other people, involving great pain and sacrifice for those families, it is the fact he broke those rules and lied about it, it is the fact that Borids Johnson twists the truth everyday, he claims to be a low tax prime minister, we have got the highest tax take in 70 years and taxes rising on working people.”
Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, has criticised the Government's 'partygate' amendment, arguing the Tories are trying to give their MPs a "get out of jail free card" by delaying a decision on whether to launch a probe.
He said: "The motion that Labour has tabled today, with strong support from right across the opposition benches, makes it clear that the Privileges Committee needs to give the police time to do their work and Sue Gray the chance to publish her report.
“So any sense that we have to delay to allow the police to do their work or Sue Gray to publish their report is absolute nonsense.
“All Conservative whips are trying to do is to cover up what Boris Johnson has done, give their MPs a get out of jail free card and hope the public won't notice that Conservative MPs have been complicit in this cover up.”
Wes Streeting, Labour's shadow health secretary, has accused the Government of "kicking the can down the road" over its bid to delay making a decision on whether to launch a Parliamentary probe into claims Boris Johnson misled the House of Commons.
Mr Streeting told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “All Conservative whips are doing today is trying to cover up Boris Johnson’s conduct, getting Conservative MPs to do the same and kicking the can down the road, prolonging the agony, prolonging the pain and prolonging the political crisis that we have at the heart of our government.”
India has been criticised for buying Russian oil after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine. It has also faced scrutiny over the fact it purchases much of its military hardware from Russia.
Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, said the UK wants to persuade India to buy its weaponry from the West.
He told Sky News: “You mention weapons, so around 65 per cent of the Indian military hardware is Russian. We want to change that. We want to see India be looking at buying Western defence weapons and other weaponry, that is part of the trade deal.”
India has so far not condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Boris Johnson is expected to raise the issue when he meets Narendra Modi for talks tomorrow.
Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, said Mr Johnson will make it "very clear" what the UK's position is as it continues to support the Ukrainian government.
He said: “They have chosen a path, at the moment, of neutrality. We will make our position very clear. I am sure the Prime Minister will talk about why we have led with our US and European colleagues on supporting the Ukrainian people.”
Boris Johnson was asked by journalists during the journey to India last night whether he would fight the next general election and he replied: “Of course.”
Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, was asked if the PM has his full support to take the Tories into the next election and he said: "He certainly does. If you look at what he has been focused on, making sure that the global fight against inflation and the economic recovery is in place, an energy strategy, safer streets and of course dealing with war in Europe.
"On all these issues the Prime Minister has been leading at home and leading internationally and this trip to India we are announcing ￡1 billion of deals already done, in place, 11,000 jobs, a trade deal with the largest democracy in the world, slated to be the third largest economy by 2050.
"This is what I think your viewers will want their leader to be doing and that is exactly what he is doing."
Sir Keir Starmer yesterday said during PMQs that Boris Johnson had "accused the BBC of not being critical enough of Putin" in reference to comments the premier reportedly made at a private meeting with Tory MPs.
Mr Johnson told Sir Keir he had said "nothing of the kind" and Oliver Dowden, the chairman of the Conservative Party, has now called for the Labour leader to formally retract the claim (you can read the full story here).
Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, has now accused Sir Keir of "inadvertently" misleading Parliament as he called for an apology.
He told Sky News: "If you just want to play politics with this as Keir Starmer sort of found out yesterday because he probably inadvertently misled Parliament because he got overexcited and…”
He continued: “Because he accused the Prime Minister of something that he clearly had no evidence of.
“He accused the Prime Minister of attacking the BBC for their coverage in Ukraine. The Prime Minister did not do that and by accusing him at the despatch box, mistakenly, he should come and apologise and withdraw.”
Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, has told Sky News he believes "most" Tory MPs will back the Government's amendment today.
He said: “All I am saying to you is due process is the right thing to follow. I think you will find most of my colleagues who are fair-minded, who believe in due process will vote for the amendment because it is the right thing to do.”
Tory MPs are expected to be whipped to vote for the amendment.
Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, has described Labour's plan to launch a Parliamentary investigation into claims Boris Johnson misled the House of Commons over "partygate" as "shenanigans".
The Government has tabled an amendment to delay making a decision on whether to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee.
Mr Zahawi told Sky News: “If you want to play politics with this then the shenanigans that Labour are attempting today is the route.
“If you want to follow due process then you allow the police to complete their investigation, you allow the Sue Gray report to be published and then the Privileges Committee can look at that.
“That is what I will be voting for today. The amendment is the right chronology and the right way to follow due process.”
Good morning and welcome to today's politics live blog.
The main event in Westminster today will be a vote on whether to launch a parliamentary probe into claims Boris Johnson misled Parliament over the "partygate" scandal.
Labour wants to make the decision to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee now, but the Government has tabled an amendment to delay the decision until after Scotland Yard has concluded its investigation.
It is likely to be a dramatic day - with Boris Johnson having arrived in India for the start of his official visit - and I will guide you through the key developments.
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