Liz Truss – latest: Calls grow for PM to resign after Braverman exit and chaotic debate

Chaotic scenes in the House of Commons have been condemned as “inexcusable” and an “absolute disgrace”, by a senior Tory backbencher.

Sir Charles Walker, a former vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs, said he was “livid” about recent turmoil and warned that unless the party starts to “behave like grown-ups” then “perhaps 200” MPs could find themselves out of jobs.

Those who helped put Liz Truss into power as prime minister also have a lot to answer for, he added.“I’ve really not seen anything like tonight,” he told BBC News, speaking after Labour’s motion on fracking was defeated by 230 votes to 326 and the chaos that erupted over whether or not it was a no confidence vote.

More MPs are calling for Liz Truss to step down after another chaotic day in Westminster which saw the acrimonious resignation of her home secretary, mayhem in the Commons over a fracking vote and confusion over whether the chief and deputy chief whip had quit.

Former Brexit minister Lord David Frost is the latest Tory to join calls for Ms Truss to step down.

“As Suella Braverman made so clear this afternoon, the government is implementing neither the programme Liz Truss originally advocated nor the 2019 manifesto. It is going in a completely different direction,” the Conservative peer, who backed Ms Truss to be prime minister, wrote in The Telegraph.

Sir Charles Walker, a veteran Tory backbencher, said on Wednesday night that he expected Truss to resign “very soon”, and that he was “really pleased” at Ms Braverman’s resignation.

“I expect the prime minister to resign very soon because she’s not up to her job either … I will shed no tears for either of them,” he told BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight.

William Wragg, a Conservative MP, said he has written a letter to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, calling for a vote of no confidence in Ms Truss.

The SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford has called for Liz Truss to resign and said she would do so if she had “an ounce of decency or any self-respect”.

The MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber added: “The utter chaos at the centre of the Tory government cannot continue any longer. It’s wrecking the economy and damaging people’s mortgages, pensions and incomes.

“If she had an ounce of decency, or any self-respect, the prime minister would resign before she is inevitably forced from office. And then there must be an election.”

Nicola Sturgeon has condemned chaotic scenes in the House of Commons as an “utter shambles”, calling for a general election to be held.

Responding to reports about the chief whip resigning, the first minister tweeted: “An utter shambles. This can’t go on. General Election now.”

This comes following a tumultuous evening in Westminster which saw the departure of Suella Braverman as home secretary followed by bullying allegations in the lobby outside the Commons.

Channel 4 newscaster Krishnan Guru-Murthy has apologised “unreservedly” to Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker after swearing at him in an “unguarded moment”.

The broadcaster said the remark followed a “robust interview” with Mr Baker but it was “beneath the standards I set myself”.

During an off-air moment after his exchange with Mr Baker, Mr Guru-Murthy was heard to say “what a c***”.

He later tweeted: “After a robust interview with Steve Baker MP I used a very offensive word in an unguarded moment off air. While it was not broadcast that word in any context is beneath the standards I set myself and I apologise unreservedly.

“I have reached out to Steve Baker to say sorry.”

Senior Tory backbencher Sir Roger Gale has claimed that Liz Truss could emerge stronger after Suella Braverman’s resignation and that the chaotic fracking vote was just a “storm in a teacup”.

The North Thanet MP told the PA news agency: “On balance, at the end of today I would say, in a peculiar way – and it is peculiar – Truss might come out of it stronger. I may be completely wrong and out of touch”.

He said the shambolic Commons vote – that saw Jacob Rees-Mogg and Therese Coffey accused of manhandling an MP to force him to vote against Labour’s proposals to reinstate a ban on fracking – had been a “storm in a teacup”.

Sir Roger claims that appointing Grant Shapps to succeed Ms Braverman could put Ms Truss in a stronger position now that Jeremy Hunt has replaced Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor.

Asked whether there was momentum building to remove the Prime Minister, he said: “No, quite the reverse actually. People aren’t overjoyed. We’re not very happy, but that’s different from wanting to unseat the Prime Minister.”

Tory former Brexit minister Lord Frost has joined calls for Liz Truss to resign.

“As Suella Braverman made so clear this afternoon, the Government is implementing neither the programme Liz Truss originally advocated nor the 2019 manifesto. It is going in a completely different direction,” he wrote in the Telegraph.

“There is no shred of a mandate for this. It’s only happening because the Truss Government messed things up more badly than anyone could have imagined, and enabled a hostile takeover by its opponents.

“Something has to give.

“Truss just can’t stay in office for one very obvious reason: she campaigned against the policies she is now implementing.

“However masterfully she now implements them – and it doesn’t seem that it will be very masterfully – it just won’t do. She said she wouldn’t U-turn, and then she did.”

Protesters are holding a musical demonstration outside Downing Street by playing a number of big hits after Liz Truss and her government’s reputation got another pummelling today.

One of the songs played during the filming of tonight’s news bulletins was ‘Mad World’ by Tears for Fears – to match the mood of the bleak but bizarre accusations of bullying and manhandling in the Commons during a vote on banning fracking.

ABBA’s ‘Money, Money, Money’ has also been heard, and the themetunes of the slapstick comedies Benny Hill and Laurel & Hardy.