There was intense speculation in the media over the weekend of 27 and 28 June as to whether or not John Profumo would resign as leader of the Conservative Party. The Daily Mail and Daily Express had forthright editorials telling Profumo that he must resign. He must take full responsibility for the disastrous result for the Tories in the general election. The Sunday Times for 28 June had a news story tagged 'exclusive' that Profumo would resign then next day.
The following morning at a crowded press conference in Conservative Central Office, with his wife, Valerie Hobson, sitting next to him, Profumo said that he took complete and full responsibility for the defeat of the Conservative Party in the general election, for which he apologised to Conservative members, supporters and voters and defeated former Conservative MPs who lost their seats. He said that he would resign as leader of his party when Conservative MPs had elected their new leader. He told the assembled journalists that Parliament would assemble on Tuesday 7 July 1964. When Conservative MPs had elected the new chairman of the 1922 Committee, because the previous chairman, Paul Bryan, had lost his seat in the general election, the new chairman would announce the timetable of the leadership election.
The following morning at a crowded press conference in Conservative Central Office, with his wife, Valerie Hobson, sitting next to him, Profumo said that he took complete and full responsibility for the defeat of the Conservative Party in the general election, for which he apologised to Conservative members, supporters and voters and defeated former Conservative MPs who lost their seats. He said that he would resign as leader of his party when Conservative MPs had elected their new leader. He told the assembled journalists that Parliament would assemble on Tuesday 7 July 1964. When Conservative MPs had elected the new chairman of the 1922 Committee, because the previous chairman, Paul Bryan, had lost his seat in the general election, the new chairman would announce the timetable of the leadership election.
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