Pressure mounts on Duncan Smith
Tory calls on leader to precipitate no confidence vote.
A senior Tory MP last night called on Iain Duncan Smith to preempt a possible vote of no confidence in his leadership by voluntarily submitting himself to the test.
Staffordshire MP Sir Patrick Cormack wrote to Mr Duncan Smith expressing his concern that the lack of unity among his 163 MPs may harm the Tories’ chances of mounting a serious challenge at the next general election.
Writing in The Telegraph, he said: “I believe that it is impossible to contemplate going into an election with any hope of success if the Parliamentary party is divided over the issue of the leadership.
“The only way to address this issue is to have a vote of confidence in the leader. My own view is that Mr Duncan Smith would be serving himself and the party if he called for a secret vote and did not wait for others.”
Sir Patrick is a member of the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs, the 16-strong group that would oversee a vote of confidence.
To precipitate the contest, 25 signatories must back the vote. It is believed Sir Michael Spicer, the committee chairman, has already received a dozen requests for the ballot.
Sir Patrick said last night there was “a real question mark” over Duncan Smith’s leadership and it was “disingenuous to pretend otherwise.”
“If the leader wins the vote of confidence everyone should fall into line and there should be no further talk of a challenge.
“If he loses the vote then we should, in as seemly and proper a way as possible, seek to choose a new leader who could command the support of the vast majority of the Parliamentary party and the party in the country,” he said.
