Boris Johnson’s senior minister has asked Tory MPs for help in removing the Prime Minister.
Former trade secretary Liam Fox said it was the ‘wrong time’ to launch a leadership challenge that would result in ‘division and paralysis’.
‘This is a time for the whole Government to concentrate its efforts on the substantial tasks at hand rather than engaging in a bout of navel-gazing,’ Dr Fox wrote on the Conservative Home website.
In a swipe at those around Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss who are said to be plotting to overthrow Boris Johnson, he added: ‘We do not need potential candidates forming shadow campaign teams.’
Former trade secretary Liam Fox (pictured) said it was the ‘wrong time’ to launch a leadership challenge that would result in ‘division and paralysis’
He intervened after an Ipsos-Mori poll revealed that a majority of people believe the government is not doing enough to improve the NHS and border security.
After being elected, respondents said that the Prime Minister failed to handle the economy and deal with Brexit.
One positive result was that the majority of those polled said they felt ministers did a great job in ensuring Covid vaccinations are given to all members.
A poll found that 70% of those surveyed thought they do a terrible job with the NHS.
Respondents were split on how the Government handled immigration. 73% said it did a poor job managing immigrants, while only 14% thought it was doing a good job.
Well over half of respondents said Mr Johnson’s administration had done a bad job of dealing with crime (59 per cent), handling Brexit (57 per cent) and pursuing its ‘levelling up’ agenda (66 per cent).
The intervention was made after Ipsos Mori’s poll showed that a majority of people believe the government does a poor job at the NHS, immigration, and the economy.
It also did badly in the areas of taxation (58%), education (55%), and economy (49%).
But despite these negative impressions, voters have responded positively to the UK’s Covid vaccine roll-out.
Eighty-four percent of the 1,005 respondents polled between December 3, 10 and 10, said the Government did a good job with the vaccination roll-out. Only 11% stated it had done poorly.
After weeks of negative headlines, this comes following allegations that Christmas parties were held within Number 10, Government Departments despite public bans and leaked accusations about ministers.