Where's Boris?

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On that note, I am done for the day, but my colleague Tom Ambrose is taking over to keep you updated with the latest developments. Downing Street announces 12 new ministers, filling some of the posts left vacant by the recent wave of resignations

For example, the York Outer MP Julian Sturdy has said Johnson’s claim he thought the gathering at Downing Street was work-related “will not wash with the British public, who at the relevant time were making significant sacrifices”.

The fact is, that at a time when people were not allowed to attend the funeral of their loved ones or comfort their dying relatives, when fines were being issued for people meeting for a coffee in the park, Downing Street should not have been holding social events of any sort. MORE : Bookies suggest Boris Johnson more likely to be on I’m A Celebrity than return as Prime Minister He still performs strongly in polling – not least because he is better known than many of his potential rivals – but after the furore over his US green card, and with some Tories irritated by the rising tax burden on his watch, he now appears much less of a slam dunk. One senior MP said that a Johnson revival could lead to a spate of byelections with seats lost to Labour or the Lib Dems, undermining his premiership. “Plenty of colleagues would just give up or resign or not re-stand,” they predicted. Another MP told the Guardian: “If this happens I will immediately defect to the Labour party.” Boris Johnson’s government will not try to implement new policies while the Conservatives choose a new leader, the prime minister has told his cabinet, deepening concerns over paralysis in the aftermath of his resignation announcement.

Boris Johnson’s half-apology on Wednesday, for accidentally attending a party work event in his own garden, was aimed at buying him some time. But it is becoming increasingly clear that his party is running out of patience. That's now 19 @ScotTories MSPs calling for @BorisJohnson to quit (that's more than 60% of the Tory Holyrood group) #partygate https://t.co/68kDXheNEe— Severin Carrell (@severincarrell) January 12, 2022 Rumours were flying about in Westminster on Friday night that he could attempt an immediate return to the Commons in the safe Mid Bedfordshire seat vacated by Nadine Dorries, who happens to be his most vehement supporter. In reality, the unwillingness of Conservative Campaign Headquarters to let it happen – combined with the prospect of a humiliating loss – make this an unlikely next step.In Cheltenham, where MP Alex Chalk resigned as solicitor general yesterday, voters have been sharing their views on a seismic day for UK politics. He tells Sky News that Michael Gove offered Johnson the "metaphorical bottle of whisky and the revolver".

Beyond this, Mr Johnson has kept a low profile as his successor’s premiership has plunged into chaos – but he is likely to have no shortage of offers, whatever path he chooses next. He told the PA news agency: “I have spoken with Sir Graham Brady and urged him to truncate, wherever possible, the leadership election process. Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart became the third cabinet minister to resign from the PM's government as he called on the PM to resign A spokesperson declined to say whether it was his wife, Carrie, or one of their two young children that tested positive. Not according to Camilla Cavendish, the former director of the Number 10 Policy Unit. "The key point here is exactly this - we don't have a functioning government," she tells the BBC.James Daly, parliamentary private secretary to the Department of Work and Pensions, resigned from his role "with great regret". Johnny Mercer MP to be a Minister of State (Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) at the Cabinet Office. He will attend Cabinet It is looking as though those Tories who are part of Boris Johnson’s inner circle are doing their utmost to rally the troops, as the business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, joined Priti Patel and Jacob Rees-Mogg in calling for Tory MPs to stand by the prime minister.

Rishi Sunak, who walked out of the Treasury on Tuesday within minutes of Sajid Javid quitting, had been widely seen as the frontrunner until a series of missteps, including the botched spring statement. But despite calling on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign, she tells ITV's Robert Peston she will continue in her role. However, few people would have guessed that with his successor Liz Truss’s premiership mired in chaos almost from the outset, there would be calls for his return within weeks. I think we will have two candidates out of the parliamentary party to present the membership before recess. And that will be no more than three or four weeks.Lord Falconer, the Labour former lord chancellor, told Radio 4’s the World at One that Boris Johnson should be fined, or charged, because he admitted at PMQs that he attended an event that broke the law. Labour says Johnson could be dragged into the inquiry personally because he is a “regulated donee” and is obliged to provide details of any donation that could be considered for his personal benefit. The commission remains tight-lipped on this point. However, he is now facing increased calls to step down after it emerged there were reportedly two separate parties in Downing Street last April, on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral.