Boris Johnson: Damian Green urges MPs to vote for Partygate report as pressure mounts for Rishi Sunak – UK politics live

Senior Tory says PM and MPs should respect committee’s findings as Monday’s vote looms

In his Today programme interview Damian Green, the Tory former first secretary of state, also suggested that Boris Johnson should not be allowed to stand as a candidate for the party again.

Asked if he would be in favour of that, Green replied:

I think it will be quite difficult …

I think if he had been more temperate in his response [to the privileges committee report], it would be easier for him to have a way back into active politics. But he’s chosen to use phrase like ‘kangaroo court’” and “witch hunt”, and described the report as deranged, and that inevitably puts into question the integrity of people who have great integrity, the people who sit on the committee.

I would most strongly warn Conservative party managers against any attempt to block Boris if he seeks the party nomination in another seat.

Any attempt to do so would shatter our fragile party unity and plunge the Conservatives into civil war.