BRACKNELL’S MP has given his backing to Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the wake of the numerous parties alleged to have taken place in 10 Downing Street during the pandemic.
James Sunderland told BBC Radio Berkshire’s Phil Kennedy that he was a loyal Conservative MP and he had no reason not to disbelieve Mr Johnson’s version of events relating to a party held on May 20, 2020, during the first lockdown. Mr Johnson says he was not aware in advance that it was a party, and when he did attend, he thought he was at a work meeting that happened to be taking place in the Downing Street gardens.
“The bottom line is, the Prime Minister has said publicly that he wasn’t aware of the function he was going to, and we have to believe him,” Mr Sunderland said.
He also told Mr Kennedy that his inbox had been “pretty lively” with messages.
“We’ve got a lot of angry constituents out there, and rightly so. I’m also furious,” he said on the alleged gatherings of Downing Street staff. “I empathise with (my constituents), I’m grateful they’ve reached out to me, and (sharing) their view. In most cases, I agree with them.”
Mr Sunderland said that he was not aware of any attempts among his fellow MPs to remove the Prime Minister from office – there is talk on social media of a number of letters being sent to Parliament’s 1922 committee asking for a leadership contest. Once a certain threshold is reached, such a contest could take place. If Mr Johnson wins it, he will be safe from any further challenge for 12 months.
However, Mr Sunderland felt that it was important for the party to get behind Mr Johnson, who has had a tough role in leading the nation through the pandemic over the past two years, a job he described as “pretty brutal” and “full-on”, placing Mr Johnson under “huge pressure”.
“My role as a backbencher is to support the Prime Minister as best I can, and that’s what I’m doing,” he said. “My humble view is he’s doing the best he can under extreme circumstances.”
Responding to a question about what would happen if the Conservatives did badly in May’s local elections, Mr Sunderland said: “At this point in time, we don’t know what’s going to happen. We don’t know the outcome from Sue Gray inquiry (into the parties).
“Obviously, a decision will be taken in due course as to whether the Prime Minister is the right man for the job.
“I think he is – I think he’s proven his worth over two years.”
