In a dramatic few hours in politics last night, a Gloucestershire MP resigned from government while others called for Boris Johnson to quit as Prime Minister, sparked by two shock Cabinet resignations.

It all began when Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid both announced they would be stepping down from their roles within Government.

This was followed by Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk resigning as Solicitor General while Tewkesbury MP Laurence Robertson called for the PM to resign.

The Cabinet resignations came after a series of damaging sagas for the Governement, most recently the affair surrounding the former Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher who quit last week.

In his resignation letter to Mr Johnson, Mr Chalk said: "To be in government is to accept the duty to argue for difficult or even unpopular policy positions where that serves the broader national interest. But it cannot extend to defending the indefensible.

"The cumulative effect of the Owen Paterson debacle, Partygate and now the handling of the former Deputy Chief Whip's resignation, is that public confidence in the ability of Number 10 to uphold the standards of candour expected of a British Government has irretrievably broken down. I regret that I share that judgement.

"This comes at a moment of intense challenge for our country, when trust in government can rarely have been more important. I'm afraid the time has come for fresh leadership."

Mr Chalk said he was grateful for the opportunity to have served as both a Justice Minister and Solicitor General - the first MP from Cheltenham to serve in government since the 1850s.

He added: "I am saddened to leave a role which I have enjoyed and, I hope, contributed positively. But the Prime Minister needs a Solicitor General who can defend the culture and course set on his watch. I regret I no longer can."

Mr Robertson tweeted last night: "I voted against Boris Johnson in the recent confidence vote, and earlier today reiterated my concerns. Resignations of Cabinet ministers show others agree the issues over the past months have become a distraction from the challenges facing the country. The PM must now resign."

Another Gloucestershire MP, Mark Harper, who represents the Forest of Dean, called for Mr Johnson to quit back in April.

Mr Harper tweeted last night: "Tonight we have seen leadership from Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid. Honourable decisions made by honourable men. The Conservative Party still has so much to offer to our country. It's time for a fresh start."

Commenting on Mr Chalk's resignation, Mr Harper tweeted: "A decent man that the Government will be poorer without. Proud to call Alex Chalk a fellow Gloucestershire MP."

Mr Harper has been mentioned by Sky News as someone who could possibly throw their hat in the ring to succeed the Prime Minister.

Sky News said: "For Tory backbenchers who want to see a change in political direction of the government, particularly when it comes to the approach to the pandemic, Mark Harper could be a possible option.

"The former chief whip was eliminated in the first round when he ran for the leadership in 2016, but his role as co-chair of the lockdown sceptic COVID Recovery Group has seen him act as a spokesman for a wing of the party over the last year."

As for the three other Gloucestershire MPs, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has also been a critic of the Prime Minister, recently saying he handled the Chris Pincher saga in a 'very clunky way'.

Gloucester Conservative MP Richard Graham is keeping his cards close to his chest, while Stroud Tory MP Siobhan Baillie has just had a baby girl, for which we congratulate her.