Former Tory leader Lord Howard calls on Johnson to quit for good of the country

He said the loss of Tory seats in the north and south of England were “representative of the country as a whole” and the electorate had “delivered its verdict” on Mr Johnson.

“I think the country needs new leadership. And I think the time has now come to provide it,” he said.

He suggested it was time for the Cabinet to tell the Prime Minister his time was up.

“Members of the Cabinet should very carefully consider their positions,” he said.

One member of the cabinet, Tory party co-chairman Oliver Dowden, resigned this morning saying the party “cannot carry on with business as usual”.

Lord Howard, who led the Tories from 2003 to 2005, said he had come to  his conclusion "reluctantly", but said the culture at No10 was "unacceptable", and Mr Johnson was no longer a voter winner.

He said the backbench 1922 committee could change its rules to allow a fresh confidence vote in Mr Johnson.

The Prime Minister survived a vote on June 6 by 211 votes to 148 as his backbenchers turned on over the Partygate scandal and the Government's drift and tax rises.

He cannot, under the current rules, face another such vote for a year, however the rules can be rewritten.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the treasurer of the 1922, said today that Tory MPs faced some “difficult decisions” on the matter.

Lord Howard, who previously described Mr Johnson as a “political Houdini”, was asked if he thought the Prime Minister should remain in post.

He said: “Im afraid I've very reluctantly come to the conclusion that he shouldn't.

“His biggest asset has always been his ability to win votes. 

“But I'm afraid yesterday's results make it clear that he no longer has that ability.

“And the best person in the Conservative Party to judge the mood base of the party and of the electorate is its chairman. I have enormous respect for Oliver Dowden and the implications of his resignation letter, I think are very clear. 

“Like him, I remain completely loyal to the Conservative Party. But I think the party and even more importantly the country would now be better off under new leadership.”

Asked if it was simply about Mr Johnson not winning votes, Lord Howard said: “Well, look, I always thought that the culture of Number 10 at a time of recent events was unacceptable.

“And indeed I think the Prime Minister himself belatedly recognised that.

“That culture came from the top and the only person who was responsible for it was the Prime Minister.

“Now that view was my view and I'm only one person. But what I think yesterday makes clear is that my view is shared by very large numbers of people in Yorkshire and in different places so different that I think they can reasonably be regarded as representative of the country as a whole. 

“So I think that yesterday, the electorate delivered its verdict. And as Oliver Dowden has said, it can't continue as business as usual.”

Asked about potential successors, he said: “Well, that will be a matter for, first of all, many members of parliament in the Conservative Party and then for the membership.

“But there are certainly people in the party who could, I think, take over the leadership and provide the country with the kind of leadership that it needs.”

Lord Howard said he had agreed with much of Mr Johnson’s agenda, including Brexit, and his decision and speaking about it was “not a step that I have taken lightly”.

He said: “Ive given it a good deal of thought. I have always been loyal to the leader of the Conservative Party. But I think times now are different and I think that action needs to be taken.

“I'm not in the business of speculation as to what might or might not happen. I don't know [if Mr Johnson will survive]. But after giving it a lot of thought, I have come to the conclusion that I want to make my my own view clear.

“I think two things should happen. First, of all, I think members of the Cabinet should very carefully consider their positions, as Oliver Dowden has done.

“And it may be necessary for the executive of the 1922 Committee to meet and to decide to change the rules so that another leadership election could take place. Those Those are the two things which I think could make a difference.

“I think the country needs new leadership. And I think the time has now come to provide it.”

Labour regained the red wall seat of Wakefield in West Yorkshire from the Tories in Thursday’s byelections, a swing of 12.7 per cent.

While the Liberal Democrats won Tiverton & Honiton in Devon on a huge 30% swing, overturning a Tory majority of more than 24,000.

It was the largest byelection win in numerical terms in history, and the first time the Tories had not won the seat in almost a century.

Many Tory MPs fear they now face a “pincer” movement at the next general election, with a Labour revival in the north of England and a LibDem resurgence in the south.