Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard calls on colleagues to back PM
A Shropshire Conservative MP called on his party colleagues to rally their support behind the Prime Minister.
Mark Pritchard, MP for the Wrekin, voiced his support for beleaguered Boris Johnson ahead of Monday evening's leadership vote, arguing the country cannot afford for the Conservative Party to indulge itself in a leadership contest at this time.
He said the pressing issues of the economy and the war in Ukraine needed focus.
But Mr Pritchard was the only Shropshire Conservative MP to back Mr Johnson publicly ahead of the leadership vote when contacted by the Shropshire Star.
None of Shrewsbury & Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski, Ludlow MP Philip Dunne, and Telford MP Lucy Allan, have so far responded to requests for comment on the issue.
Montgomeryshire MP Craig Williams voiced his support for the Prime Minister, after he addressed the 1922 Committee.
Writing on Twitter he said: "Having listened to the PM at the 1922, I will continue to back Boris Johnson & focus on growing the economy, tackling the cost of living & clearing the Covid backlogs.
"He got the big decisions right on vaccines, supporting people through the Covid crisis & tackling unemployment."
Mr Pritchard said he believed the public wanted his party to get on with running the country.
He said: "The PM has made mistakes. He has acknowledged that and has apologised. By the way mistakes that were made by others too. With the economy needing a reboot and with the ongoing war in Ukraine this is not a time for an internal leadership contest.
"Most people I meet want the Conservative Party to focus on the everyday governing of the country. I think he will win tonight and the party needs to rally around him and take the fight to Labour."
Meanwhile, former Montgomeryshire Conservative MP, Glyn Davies, current chair of the Welsh Conservatives, said he would have felt let down by colleagues pressing for a vote if he were still in Westminster.
Writing on Facebook he said: "If I was still an MP, I would be disappointed by what’s happening. Internal disagreements are never a good look. But that’s politics. Always has been. Rarely runs smooth for long."
