Deputy minister Dominic Raab has claimed Conservative MPs are “overwhelmingly” behind Boris Johnson, despite anger over the partygate scandal from the Tory backbenches.
Mr Johnson endured a gruelling appearance in the Commons, in which former PM Theresa May launched a devastating attack on her successor’s failure to abide by Covid rules following the censored “update” report from Sue Gray.
Furious Tory MPs demanded the publication of the full Gray report once the Metropolitan Police investigation into parties concludes – after Mr Johnson repeatedly refused to give MPs a firm commitment.
Stung by the backlash, No 10 confirmed on Monday night that the PM would ask Ms Gray to produce a second report after the police investigation concludes, and committed to publishing it.
Mr Raab said there would be “full transparency” over Ms Gray’s findings. “If Sue Gray sends a further report following the [police] investigation, the PM’s been very clear it will be published.”
Asked if Ms Gray might publish emails and some of the 300 photos of social events handed to Scotland Yard, Mr Raab said: “It depends on what Sue Gray puts in her report.”
The cabinet minister told Times Radio addressed questions raised in the Gray report “in a fulsome way”, adding: “At the political level, my experiences in the chamber but also at the meeting of Conservative MPs – overwhelmingly MPs backing him, wanting to see us getting on with the job.”
Asked if Mr Johnson should quit if he is found to have breached Covid laws, Mr Raab said: “Let’s wait and see … Allow the police to conduct their investigation and see, when they have ascertained the facts, quite what they conclude.”
Asked if he would go for the leadership if a vacancy arose, Mr Raab said: “No – I’m supportive of this prime minister, and I’m confident he will go on and win the next election.”
Mr Raab also defended Mr Johnson’s use of a completely discredited claim that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile – dismissing it as “part of the cut and thrust in the chamber”.
Mr Johnson insisted he was “making changes” to Downing Street and the Cabinet Office, including by creating an office of the Prime Minister with a permanent secretary to lead No 10.
Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg claimed the “mood was positive” among Conservatives after Mr Johnson faced down his MPs at an evening meeting on the parliamentary estate.
However, former Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell told Mr Johnson he “no longer enjoys my support”. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the PM was running the government like a “medieval court”.
On Monday evening Tory MP Angela Richardson announced she had quit as a ministerial aide to Michael Gove, sharing her “deep disappointment” at the handling of the partygate row.
And Aaron Bell, part of the 2019 intake of Red Wall MPs, recalled abiding by Covid restrictions for his grandmother’s May 2020 funeral before asking Mr Johnson: “Does the prime minister think I’m a fool?”
Former Conservative leader William Hague has said the PM “should be very worried” and criticised his apology to the Commons.
Writing in The Times, Mr Hague said the PM had plenty of time to craft a comprehensive and substantial response which gave his critics “pause for thought” but instead “decided to do the minimum”.
“The prime minister could have got on the front foot … yet this very intuitive politician decided to do the minimum in responding to the report rather than go further in his apology and his proposals. Instead of reinforcing the momentum in his favour, he quite possibly stalled it.”
A No 10 statement released last night said: “At the end of the process, the prime minister will ask Sue Gray to update her work in light of what is found. He will publish that update.”
Polling on Monday night from Opinium said 62 per cent of UK adults wanted the PM to resign, and 64 per cent believed Tory MPs should make him go.
