The Cotswold MP has said it is not the time, nor in the country’s interest, for the Prime Minister to resign.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who is also the treasurer of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbench MPs, believes the cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine mean Boris Johnson should not step down.

This comes after the Conservative leader was fined for attending a party during lockdown, becoming the first sitting Prime Minister to break the law.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Sir Geoffrey said: "At a time when thousands of our constituents are facing the biggest squeeze in their cost of living for a generation, when we are facing a bloody war in Europe the like of which we haven't seen since the Second World War, when we are seeing a slowdown of the world economy because of all of that - to force the prime minister out and have instability at the top of government for at least two months, as I know as treasurer of the 1922 when we re-selected a successor to Theresa May, I think would be not in the country's interests."

Sir Geoffrey said he wants to see "all the evidence" which would include whether more fines are issued, what Sue Gray has to say, and what the verdict of the British people is in the local government elections.

He added that the reason Conservative MPs are not yet calling for the Prime Minister to go is that they are “withholding their judgment and waiting to see what happens”.

He said: "The culture in Number 10 has to be advised by the most senior civil servants and at the time that the Prime Minister made that statement in parliament I am absolutely certain that he believed he had not broken any rules."

Paul Hodgkinson, Gloucestershire County councillor for Bourton and Northleach, wrote to the MP last week, urging him to call for the resignation of the Prime Minister, and Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Councillor Hodgkinson, the Cotswold Liberal Democrats parliamentary spokesperson, wrote: "No sitting Prime Minister in our country’s history has broken the law – until now. It is time to do what is only right – a leader cannot lead if he is shown to break the laws he himself creates.

"We are a proud democracy. Our country deserves better and new leadership is required."