
TORY MPs are losing patience with Boris Johnson’s government and intend to take action when Parliament returns tomorrow, a back-bench leader has suggested.
Sir Charles Walker, vice-chairman of the 1922 committee of Conservative backbenchers, said that morale is waning due to the government’s “unsustainable” approach.
He said it was becoming increasingly difficult for Tory MPs to defend the government from criticism as public pressure repeatedly overturns its policies.
The government has recently been defeated on its advice for face masks in schools, its timeline for ending the temporary evictions ban, on the downgrading of A-Level and GCSE results, on the provision of free school meals, and on the immigration surcharge for NHS workers.
Mr Walker told the Observer: “Too often it looks like this government licks its finger and sticks it in the air to see which way the wind is blowing.
“Whether this approach is by design or by accident, the climate of uncertainty it creates is unsustainable and erodes morale.”
Mr Walker and 1922 committee chairman Sir Graham Brady are expecting to have their “ears bent” by MPs when they reconvene in the Commons before they relay concerns to No 10.
He spoke out as an Opinium poll put Labour at level pegging with the Conservatives for the first time since July last year.
It also showed that Mr Johnson’s approval rating remains lower than Sir Keir Starmer’s despite the latter’s having dropped.
Tory MPs are particularly frustrated by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson’s handling of A-level and GCSE results after exams were cancelled due to the coronavirus.
He is still facing pressure from teachers and their unions, who slammed Mr Williamson at the weekend after his department issued last-minute guidance to schools on how to cope with Covid-19 outbreaks.
It gave them just days to prepare as schools in England and Wales fully reopen from Tuesday.
A Tes survey released today confirms widespread doubt among school staff over the reopening plans, with more than a third of teachers (35 per cent) saying that the government’s approach will not work and leaves staff at risk.
Nearly nine in 10 teachers said that staying socially distant from pupils and other staff will not be achievable.