West Berkshire Lib Dems warn Newbury MP Laura Farris that she is 'on notice' with constituents after Conservative's Partygate

Newbury MP Laura Farris has been warned she is 'on notice' by the local Liberal Democrats.

She has yet to say whether she suppported the Prime Minister in last night's no confidence vote in the Commons.

But local opposition says the country deserves better, with the Lib Dems claiming many Conservative voters are changing sides.

Speaking in response to a majority of Conservative MPs voting to retain confidence in Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Lee Dillon, Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson for Newbury, said: “Tonight Conservative MPs had the opportunity to vote to finally move on from Boris Johnson’s failed premiership and allow the country to focus on the real challenges we face. They failed to take it.

"A majority of Conservative MPs have looked at the Prime Minister’s record of lying and law-breaking, and have concluded that they are comfortable with it. A party that once claimed to stand for law, order and decency has lost its moral compass.

"As a country we deserve far better than this. If Conservative MPs refuse to sack Boris Johnson then the public will take it upon themselves.

"In Newbury, the next general election will be between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, and across the constituency we are already hearing from many former Conservative voters who are planning to vote Lib Dem next time.

"Our MP should be on notice; unless the Conservatives can find it within themselves to finally do the right thing, she risks losing her seat in Parliament next time.”

Newbury MP Laura Farris will be one of the seven MPs who could deal a final blow to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

She will sit on the cross party Commons Privileges Committee which will now investigate the PM and whether he lied to Parliament over Partygate.

Mr Johnson has so far weathered a confidence vote, Met Police fines and Sue Gray’s critique of failures of leadership in Number 10.

But the Privileges Committee can summon MPs to appear before it.

So if the backbenchers decide that they need to hear from the Prime Minister in person, he will have no choice but to appear, or to be held in contempt of Parliament.

The committee has a Conservative majority of five with two Labour MPs and one from the SNP.

The Conservative MPs currently sitting with Mrs Farris are Sir Bernard Jenkin, Alberto Costa and Andy Carter.

The committee is expected to convene after the summer recess.