Former Conservative leader Michael Howard has called for Boris Johnson to resign.

Sir Howard told BBC Radio 4 World at One on Friday that “the party, and more importantly the country, will be better off with new leaders.”

His intervention came after the Conservatives had lost Wakefield, Tiberton and Honiton by-elections.

“Cabinet members need to be very careful about where they stand,” Howard said.

He added that “it may be necessary” for the 1922 Tory Vice-Committee to change the rule to “other leadership”. [election] You can pass. “

Johnson recently won a resolution of no confidence against his leadership and, under current party rules, was unable to challenge for a year.

In a statement in Rwanda, the prime minister said he would “continue” despite losing two elections.

“As a government, I think we need to listen to what the people are saying, especially in the face of the difficulties people are facing in terms of living expenses, which is the number one problem for most people. I think it is,” she said. .

“We have to admit that we have more to do, and we definitely will. We will continue to address people’s concerns until we get past this patch.”

Conservative President Oliver Doden resigned early this morning, saying he and Tory supporters were “depressed and frustrated by recent events”. He told Johnson, “Someone has to take responsibility.”

But so far, other cabinet members have remained loyal, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak writing on Twitter that he “decided to keep working.”