A COUNTY Durham Conservative MP is among those reportedly planning to bring down the Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison is understood to be one of at least 20 Red Wall Tory party members threatening to submit letters of no confidence in the PM.

So far, the MP has not yet confirmed or denied reports but it comes as other MPs have attempted to defend the PM admit the partygate scandal.

UPDATED: Dehenna Davison speaks to The Northern Echo about claims of coup against Boris Johnson

According to reports, Ms Davison and fellow Tory MP Alicia Kearns are among the "ringleaders" in the so-called "pork pie plot" to get rid of the scandal-hit leader.

What is required for a vote of no confidence?

A total of 54 MPs are required to trigger to a vote of no confidence by writing to the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee.

Read more: Boris Johnson Plan B announcement: Full list of Covid rules to change tomorrow

If such a vote succeeds, the leader must then resign before a full contest for the next leader is held.

But other MPs have defended the PM

Earlier today, Tory MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Simon Clarke brushed off calls for Boris Johnson to resign as Prime Minister.

Defending him, he said the PM was focused on leading the country out of the Covid pandemic.

Read more: Simon Clarke MP defends Boris Johnson amid resignation calls

“The Prime Minister was very clear we will get on with the job of getting the country through the pandemic,” he told BBC Radio 4’s The World at One.

He added the Government is focused on delivering "economic recovery, levelling up opportunity across the country, making a success of Brexit and honouring the manifesto in which we were elected under Boris Johnson with a huge majority two years ago."

"That is the right thing to do," Mr Clarke continued, "and I think that is what my constituents would want to see happen as much as anyone else."

Other news: Darlington 14-year-old is convicted of terror offence

But that came shortly after Bury South MP Christian Wakeford defected from the Conservatives to Labour, telling the PM that “you and the Conservative Party as a whole have shown themselves incapable of offering the leadership and government this country deserves”.

--

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054