Calls for PM to resign are helping Putin says Wolverhampton MP

Stuart Anderson the Conservative MP for Wolverhampton South West, stood up in the House of Commons to urge opposition MPs to stop encouraging the Prime Minister to quit.

Mr Johnson is under immense pressure after a string of revelations regarding alleged lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street, including a gathering to celebrate his birthday last year.

Meanwhile the Prime Minister has said Britain is prepared to deploy troops to protect Nato allies in Europe should Russia invade Ukraine.

Mr Anderson, a former soldier who was elected in 2019 with a majority of less than 2,000, has been a consistent defender of Mr Johnson in recent weeks.

He said on Tuesday: "I fought in bloody conflicts in Europe and at the moment we're seeing hundreds of thousands of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border which could see the bloodiest conflict for generations.

"We're wasting time here and every time the opposition call for our Prime Minister to resign we are only strengthening Putin’s hand and de-stabilising negotiations."

Ukraine’s leaders reassured the nation on Tuesday that an invasion by neighbouring Russia is not imminent, even as they acknowledged the threat is real and prepared to accept a shipment of US military equipment to shore up their defences.

Moscow has denied planning an assault, but has massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine in recent weeks, leading the US and its Nato allies to prepare for a possible war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late on Monday that the situation is “under control” and there is “no reason to panic”.