TWO Welsh Conservative MPs have vowed to back Boris Johnson after it was confirmed he will face a vote of no confidence in his leadership today.

The secret ballot will take place between 6pm and 8pm.

If half of MPs vote that they do not hold confidence in Mr Johnson’s leadership, then he will be ousted.

Mr Johnson has been under considerable pressure following the recent publication of the full Sue Gray report into Downing Street parties during lockdown, for which the prime minister was fined.

South Wales Argus: If half of MPs vote that they do not hold confidence in Mr Johnson’s leadership, then he will be ousted. (PA)If half of MPs vote that they do not hold confidence in Mr Johnson’s leadership, then he will be ousted. (PA)

Monmouth MP David Davies, who is Gwent’s only Conservative MP, confirmed he will continue to support the prime minister.

“Boris Johnson was elected with a landslide majority. He has delivered Brexit, taken us through the covid pandemic and been in the forefront of support for Ukraine.

“I will certainly be backing him.”

Vale of Glamorgan MP and former Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said: “I will be backing the PM tonight.

“He has always got the big calls right – furlough, giving us the lowest unemployment since the 70s, vaccines, releasing us from covid sooner than other nations.

“He’s shown the strongest leadership against Russian aggression and coordinated support through the energy crisis.”

What have other Gwent MPs said?

Labour MP for Torfaen Nick Thomas-Symonds said he hoped Tory MPs do “the right thing”.

“This Vote of Confidence is not before time, and I hope Tory MPs do the right thing and vote for Prime Minister to go,” he said.

“If they do not do the right thing, and they keep Boris Johnson in office when he has shown himself unfit to be Prime Minister, they will have to answer to the voters. The sooner we are rid of this rotten Tory government, the better for communities in Torfaen and across the country.”

Newport West MP Ruth Jones said: “It’s good to see that Tory MPs are finally starting the process of removing Boris Johnson as Party Leader and Prime Minister.

“Boris Johnson presided over a culture of booze-filled rule breaking at a time when the British public and people here in Newport were enduring immense hardship.

“Sue Gray’s report was damning in its conclusions and any other Prime Minister would have resigned, but he is a man without shame. It now falls on Tory MPs to do the right thing, put an end to this farce and get rid of him”.

Labour MP for Blaenau Gwent Nick Smith said: "The credibility of the Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on the floor. It’s no surprise his panicked MPs have turned against him. 

"Who knows how this episode it will end, but my guess is badly for our country.

"Rather than just Conservative MPs having their say, we need a general election and a Labour government to clear out the stables."

Islwyn's Labour MP Chris Evans said: "After being fined for breaking lockdown rules, Boris Johnson should have done the honourable thing and resigned, long before any confidence vote.

"Johnson's tenure as PM is an embarrassment if Tory MP's will not remove him then the Labour Party will at the next General Election."