Tories call on David Cameron to quit...

Not my headline, but the Sunday Torygraph's. Political Editor Melissa Kite reports that at least two and possibly up to six Tory MPs have lodged formal requests for a vote of no confidence in his leadership.

The ST reports:

The bid to destabilise the Tory leader comes after months of dissent over his modernising strategy, including a revolt over grammar schools, and his party's humiliating third-place defeat in two by-elections last week.

A no confidence motion would be triggered if 29 MPs - 15 per cent of the parliamentary party - write to call for a vote. While there is no suggestion that anything like that number has done so, even a small number risks triggering similar demands from malcontent MPs.

One senior backbencher said: "There's a hole at the heart of the Cameron project. There is a feeling that Cameronism is exhausted... MPs want to know what is at the heart of all this rebranding. The fear is that there is nothing at the heart of it."

The Tory performance which resulted in a humiliating third place in both Thursday's by elections was a disaster for Cameron, but I'd be surprised if the rebels get the 29 signatures needed to spark a challenge to his 'leadership'.

He may be saved by Parliament's summer break which starts on Wednesday, leaving the disunity and grumbles to fester on and on into the autumn Conference season.

Interesting that the Grammar School wars is mentioned as partially leading to Tory MPs lacking confidence in Cameron.

At the time, Tory supporters attempted to dismiss Grammar Wars as insignificant. Commenters on this blog criticised me for going OTT on Grammar Wars.

Grammar Wars was in fact the moment that demonstrated that Cameron may well be the Tory answer to Kinnock - if he's lucky.

But as he's proved with spectacular mis-judgement in Ealing Southall, he ain't no Blair.