Liz Truss insisted yesterday that Boris Johnson should continue as Prime Minister for ‘as long as possible’ as Downing Street braced itself for the publication of the Partygate report.
The Foreign Secretary is a leading contender to replace the PM but scotched talk of any leadership contest – despite fears he could be challenged as early as next week.
In an effort to ward off any threats, Johnson will likely speak with several Tory MPs from Chequers this weekend. Insiders believe similar meetings earlier this week helped defuse the threat of the ‘Pork Pie Plot’ coup by Red Wall MPs.
The Foreign Secretary is a leading contender to replace the PM but scotched talk of any leadership contest – despite fears he could be challenged as early as next week
The official inquiry into the Partygate row by Whitehall ethics chief Sue Gray is expected to be published next week – and there is growing nervousness in Downing Street over what it will reveal.
She is said to have found an email warning Mr Johnson’s principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, against holding a drinks party in the No 10 garden during the first Covid lockdown.
The email, sent by a senior official, told Mr Reynolds the gathering ‘should be cancelled because it broke the rules’, according to ITV News.
Johnson confessed to attending the event in question for 25 mins on May 20th 2020. He maintained, however that it was work-related and that he wasn’t warned.
Many MPs wait for the publication of the report to make a decision on whether they will submit confidence letters to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of 1922 Committee.
The official inquiry into the Partygate row by Whitehall ethics chief Sue Gray is expected to be published next week – and there is growing nervousness in Downing Street over what it will reveal
Miss Truss managed to get out of the Westminster storm by flying to Australia this week with the Defence Secretary, for security and trade negotiations.
She told reporters in Sydney yesterday that the PM ‘100 per cent’ has her backing.
Miss Truss said: ‘He is doing an excellent job. The Covid vaccine was first introduced in Britain.
‘We’ve had a very successful booster programme. We’re now able to open up our economy… one of the fastest-growing economies in the G7. The Prime Minister should continue his work as long as possible. It is a great job. There is no leadership election.’
Miss Truss has previously been accused of ‘overdoing it’ by lining herself up as a potential successor to Mr Johnson, with her trip to Australia being likened to Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s impromptu dash to Devon last week. Mr Sunak visited a business in Ilfracombe last Wednesday – deserting Mr Johnson during his torrid Prime Minister’s Questions. Senior Tories said his conspicuous absence made him look ‘too eager’.
Miss Truss consistently outscores her potential leadership rivals among Tory members – ConservativeHome’s latest poll gives her a favourability rating of 73, compared to the PM on minus 34.
Mr Johnson will use his meetings this weekend to urge MPs to ‘look at the bigger picture’, most notably the success of his strategy for dealing with the Omicron strain.
Last night fresh claims were made over details of the alleged Downing Street parties on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral. The staff reportedly had a seven-hour party that lasted until midnight. Photos were also taken during the event. It was claimed some went down a slide belonging to Wilfred Johnson, the PM’s son.
With concern that only a summary of the parties will be published in the report, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said last night that it ‘must be open to scrutiny from all those who’ve lost loved ones and all those who stuck to the rules’.