Boris Johnson tells his MPs to stop navel gazing and unite

MPs banged their desks briefly in a traditional show of support.

Mr Johnson refused to answer questions from the media about whether he would resign as he arrived for the meeting at 4pm.

The BBC reported that the PM said: "This is the time to lift our gaze from our navel.

"We can get on, we can deliver, we can unite."

Sky News reported he warned MPs not to get into "some hellish Groundhog Day debate about the merit of belonging to the single market" and reiginiting old rows.

"The people in this room won the biggets electoral victory for the Conservatives for 40 years under my leadership."

The meeting lasteed just under half an hour.

The Times reported that when asked about the conduct in the Sue Gray report into Partygate, Mr Johnson said: "I'd do it again."

Last month, Mr Johnson said he had been humbled by the findings.

The Times also reported the PMgot into a spat with former whip Mark Harper, who asked why MPs should have to "defend the indefensible" and complained about the PM removing references to honesty and integrity from the foreword to the Ministerial Code.

Mr Johnson said he took "real exception" to the question.

After the meeting, the leading Brexiteer Steve Baker told the media: “It’s a very very sad day” but confirmed he’s voting against the prime minister tonight. “He’s clearly broken the law and he should go.”

Loyalist James Cleverly said Mr Johnson’s address had been “light on jokes”, with the Prime Minister in “serious mode”.

He said he expected the Prime Minister to win: “No-one can absolutely tell for certain, but the tone, the mood of that room gives me a feeling that actually the vast bulk of the parliamentary party wants us to move on from this row, wants us to focus on what we should be focusing on which is serving the people who elect us and also the position that we play in the world at an incredibly turbulent time.”

The alternative was a “protracted period of introspection”, he warned.

The Prime Minister’s allies - and most of his critics - believe he will win tonight’s vote.

However the margin of victory will be critical.

His supporters say that, with the outcome already decided, there is no point voting against him, as it will only weaken the government and help the opposition.

However Mr Johnson’s critics believe he has lost the trust of electors since the Partygate affair, is seen as a liar and incompetent, and will cost the Tories the next election.

A steady stream of Tory MPs called publicly for the Prime Minister to stand down in the wake of Sue Gray’s report into breaches of the Covid regulations in No 10 and Whitehall.

But Tory concerns go wider, covering the Prime Minister’s policies which have seen the tax burden reach the highest in 70 years and concerns about his approach to ethics and cultural issues.

To oust the Prime Minister, the rebels will need 180 MPs, and allies of Mr Johnson made clear he was determined to fight to stay on.

Mr Johnson’s fate will be decided in Committee Room 10, deep within the Palace of Westminster, where Tory MPs will cast their votes in a secret ballot.

MPs have been ordered to surrender their phones to avoid a repeat of the rule breach during the 2018 vote on Theresa May, when two took photos of their ballot papers.

MPs will file through the committee room between 6pm and 8pm to vote with the ballots then counted by the officers of the 1922 Committee.

The Prime Minister will be informed of the result shortly before the formal announcement, which will be made just down the committee corridor in Room 14 at 9pm.

MPs unable to vote in person will be able to nominate a proxy to cast their ballot.

The whole process will be overseen by Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, who said he runs a “tight ship” – he was also in that position when Mrs May faced the same ordeal during her turbulent leadership.