Boris Johnson should resign before he is forced out by his own MPs, the head of the Grassroots Conservatives activist group has said, amid signs of concern among leading local Tories.

       Speaking to The Telegraph, Ed Costello said Mr Johnson had not been “wholly honest” about lockdown-breaking parties at Downing Street and risked driving away swing voters at the next election.

       Other senior local party figures in seats represented by Cabinet ministers also voiced their discomfort to The Telegraph about Mr Johnson’s current predicament.

       Frustrations among the grassroots come in a week when Conservative MPs have been back in their constituencies during recess, with scores weighing up what to do about the Prime Minister’s political future.

       Thirty MPs have publicly urged Mr Johnson to quit to date, and there is speculation a confidence vote could take place as soon as next week if the threshold of 54 letters to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee, is reached.

       The Grassroots Conservatives was launched during David Cameron’s premiership to pressure the party into upholding "small-c" Conservative values of “stable family, [a] sound economy and strong defence”.

       Mr Costello told The Telegraph: “I've come to the conclusion that he probably should resign and if he had any sense he would resign before he was pushed.

       “He needs to go before the next election because some of what he has done will put off voters.

       “He just hasn't been wholly honest about what went on and it would have been better if he ’fessed up and it would all have been over.”

       'Foolish' tax rises

       Mr Costello added that while he did not consider tax rises including April’s National Insurance increase “unconservative”, he said it was a “silly” decision amid the growing cost of living crisis.

       “The tax rise is going to hit people at a time when they're already being hit and the cut in benefits was a foolish thing to do.”

       On Thursday, Lord Evans, the chairman of the independent Committee on Standards in Public Life, said questions must be raised over whether proper standards are being upheld in Government, given recent events.

       Lord Evans told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There has been a lot of public disquiet about standards over the last six months. It's one of those things that comes up from time to time and it's really important to reassure people that we want to continue to maintain decent standards in this country."

       This week The Telegraph found both discomfort with Mr Johnson's leadership but also support among leading Tories in seats held by Cabinet ministers.

       Lesley Bambridge, the mayor of West Norfolk and a Tory member of the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk council that covers Liz Truss’s constituency, voiced fears Mr Johnson had “lost his grip” on No 10 and his top team.

       She said: “I do think that sometimes he doesn't seem to handle things in the best way. There was the Dominic Cummings episode [and] he should have sacked him.

       “I think it is time for him to seriously reflect and decide whether he is the right man for the job at the moment.”

       Not all local Conservatives critical of PM

       Richard Roberts, the leader of Hertfordshire County Council which takes in the Hertsmere seat held by Oliver Dowden, the Conservative chairman, said it was a situation for Mr Johnson’s parliamentary colleagues “to work through and support or not support him”.

       Lynne Doherty, the leader of West Berkshire Council – covering Alok Sharma’s constituency – also declined to pass judgment on the national situation.

       Not all local Conservative figures were critical. David Henderson – the leader of the Wyre council that lends its name to Ben Wallace’s Wyre and Preston North seat – offered his full-throated support for Mr Johnson.

       “He’s led us out of Covid very well indeed and his support on behalf of Ukraine is superb,” he said. “It feels like he’s being put under undue pressure, rather than being allowed to do his job.

       “The rebellion within the party is unwarranted and unnecessary and, in my opinion, those MPs are literally doing Keir Starmer’s job for him.”

       Mark Durham, the former chairman of the Conservative association in Priti Patel’s constituency, said he was “still a supporter” of Mr Johnson and support for households announced last month “will go a long way to help a lot of people”.