Enough Tory MPs have requested a vote of confidence in Boris Johnson to trigger a contest.
Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, said in a statement: “The threshold of 15% of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded.
“In accordance with the rules, a ballot will be held between 6pm and 8pm today (Monday, 6 June) — details to be confirmed.
“The votes will be counted immediately afterwards. An announcement will be made at a time to be advised. Arrangements for the announcement will be released later today.”
Among those Conservative MPs who have told Mr Johnson to go is Julian Sturdy.
In a statement after the Sue Gray report into Partygate, the member for York Outer said: “I am now unable to give the Prime Minister the benefit of the doubt and feel it is now in the public interest for him to resign.”
A No 10 spokeswoman said:
Tonight is a chance to end months of speculation and allow the Government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people’s priorities.
The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs and will remind them that when they’re united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force.
Sir Graham told reporters in Westminster that the Prime Minister was informed last night that the threshold to trigger a vote had been reached.
He said some colleagues had post-dated their letters until after the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
He said: “I notified the Prime Minister yesterday that the threshold had been reached.
“We agreed the timetable for the confidence vote to take place and he shared my view – which is also in line with the rules that we have in place – that that vote should happen as soon as could reasonably take place and that would be today.”
He refused to confirm how many letters had been received or when the threshold had been passed but said “it is slightly complicated because some colleagues had asked specifically that it should not be until the end of the Jubilee celebrations”.
The PM will address Tory MPs later on Monday as he fights to save his premiership.
Mr Johnson he will speak to the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers ahead of Monday evening’s confidence vote.
Sir Graham acknowledged that Boris Johnson will not necessarily be safe even if he survives tonight’s vote.
Although the Conservative committee’s rules say there could not be another confidence vote for 12 months, Sir Graham said those procedures could be changed.
“Technically it’s possible for rules to be changed but the rule at present is there would be a period of grace,” he told reporters.
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