On the day a Suffolk MP called for Boris Johnson to quit, Ipswich's Tom Hunt warned his parliamentary colleagues against being too sycophantic towards the Prime Minister.

Mr Hunt said he would continue to support Mr Johnson's work and felt the PM needed space to carry out that work and to reorganise the Number 10 office.

But the Ipswich MP remained very concerned about the reports of parties and drinking at the heart of government. He said: "It's very clear to me that none of this is acceptable, excusable, or defensible.

"I'm not a sycophant. If some of my colleagues want to behave like this then that's up to them, but it's not me, nor will it ever be me.

"When the leader of our Party makes a big mistake, I think it's important to call this out and not morph into some kind of Corbynista groupie that ignores the reality of what's happened. No one is beyond question or reproach.

"I honestly feel that so cack-handed have some of the interventions been by some of his allies that the best way they could be of assistance to the Prime Minister would be to disable all their social media platforms and cease carrying out media interviews. Silence would be preferable."

Mr Hunt issued his statement as fellow Suffolk MP, Waveney's Peter Aldous, called on Mr Johnson to resign.

Mr Aldous said: "It is now my belief that the Prime Minister should resign. However, it is clear that at present he has no intention of doing so and I have therefore written to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee of Backbench Conservative MPs, advising him that I have no confidence in the Prime Minister as Leader of the Conservative Party.

"I have never taken such action before, I have made this decision after a great deal of thought and soul searching and I had hoped that I would not be placed in such an invidious position.

"Whilst I am conscious that others will disagree with me, I believe that this is in the best interests of the country, the Government and the Conservative Party."