CLACTON MP Giles Watling has voted against the Prime Minister after a vote of no confidence in his leadership was triggered by Tory MPs.

The vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson comes after at least 54 Conservative MPs submitted letters to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the Tory’s 1922 Committee.

If he loses the vote – to be held from 6pm to 8pm today – Mr Johnson will be forced to stand down as Prime Minister.

Giles Watling this morning said he had not “joined the rush” to send a letter of no confidence as he deemed it “too early for a leadership change”.

“We have a war, fuel crisis and a serious cost of living issue to be dealing with and in my view we don't need a leadership contest now,” he said.

“Having said that, I have never really supported Boris for PM - as incumbent he has my current support and there will be a time when he has to go.

“The day of reckoning will come.

“We cannot have a leader who is damaging us in the polls and the country must have confidence in that leadership.

“The issue of parties at No 10 will come back again and again to undermine the PM’s position."

After deciding to vote against Mr Johnson, Mr Watling added: "The Prime Minister gave a very good performance today - he is fighting for his political life - but I decided not to support him."

Mr Watling said constituents did not have confidence in Mr Johnson's "honesty and integrity" and that he shouldn't have broken his own Covid-19 rules.