Vote of no-confidence: Which Scottish MPs have declared for or against Boris Johnson?

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack praised Boris Johnson’s “tremendous leadership” as he declared he would support the Prime Minister ahead of a confidence vote.

The threshold of 54 MPs submitting letters to the backbench 1922 Committee to force a vote on Boris Johnson’s leadership was passed on Sunday, chairman Graham Brady said.

With a secret ballot of MPs scheduled for Monday evening, ministers and other MPs have been voicing their support for Mr Johnson as pressure continues to mount in the wake of the Sue Gray report.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, pictured here at LOVE Gorgie City Farm. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

However, Scottish Conservative MSPs have also begun to call for a change of leadership.

Murdo Fraser, the party’s shadow Cabinet secretary for Covid recovery, said he would vote for change if he had a ballot.

On Twitter, he said: “I don’t have a vote in tonight’s ballot in the House of Commons, but if I did I would be voting for change and I would urge MP colleagues to vote accordingly.

"The country needs a fresh start under new Conservative and Unionist leadership.”

Mr Jack, a member of Boris Johnson’s Cabinet, has been steadfastly behind the Prime Minister throughout his tenure.

“The Prime Minister has my full support, and I will be voting to back him tonight,” he said on Monday.

“He is showing tremendous leadership as we face major challenges at home and abroad.

“I have no doubt that my colleagues in the Parliamentary party will vote to show their confidence in the Prime Minister.”

The spotlight was also cast on Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who confirmed on Monday he would vote to remove the Prime Minister.

Mr Ross was among the most senior Tories calling for the Prime Minister’s resignation at the turn of the year when reports of parties in Downing Street during lockdown surfaced.

He eventually reversed course, citing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the need for stability at the top of government to deal with the situation.

Meanwhile, one of Mr Ross’s predecessors, Ruth Davidson, shared a letter by Tory MP Jesse Norman to the PM, stressing “how right [Mr Norman] is”.

In the correspondence sent directly to Mr Johnson, the MP described the plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda as “ugly”, plans to change the Northern Ireland protocol as “economically very damaging, politically foolhardy and almost certainly illegal” and accused the Prime Minister of presiding “over a culture of casual law-breaking”.