Boris Johnson insists he will ‘keep going as PM’ despite flood of resignations

Boris Johnson faced down a battering at PMQs today as he desperately tries to cling on despite more ministers resigning and even loyalists turning on him.

Mr Johnson received jeers and cheers as he took to his feet in the chamber with his prospects of survival looking increasingly slim, but joked that it is a ‘big day’ because the government is implementing ‘the biggest tax cut in a decade.

Flanked by a stony-faced Dominic Raab and new Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, Mr Johnson fended off a series of attacks from Keir Starmer saying Europe was enduring the ‘biggest war in 80 years and he was getting on with the job.

The premier was visibly angry when Tory MP Tim Loughton stood up and demanded to know if there are ‘any circumstances under which he would quit.

He snapped that he had been given a ‘colossal mandate’ and would ‘hang on in there to ‘win another general election’, adding: ‘The job of a PM… is to keep going! And that’s what I’m going to do.’

But prisons minister Victoria Atkins, City minister John Glen, schools minister Robin Walker, and children’s minister Will Quince all turned the screw by walking out just before the PMQs session.

And even as he spoke Environment minister Jo Churchill was tweeting that she had quit.

Ms Atkins laid into the government’s ‘fracture values’, while Mr Glen said he had a ‘complete lack of confidence in the premier and Mr Walker slammed ‘mistakes and questions about integrity.

Mr Zahawi was in the middle of an interview on the BBC’s flagship Today programme this morning when he was informed that Mr Quince had joined the exodus, slamming No10’s ‘inaccurate’ claims about the Chris Pincher allegations.

Asked whether it meant Mr Johnson is ‘over’, a sombre-looking Mr Zahawi responded: ‘I am deeply sorry to see colleagues leave government.’

More junior aides have also been voting with their feet as the challenge to the PM gathers pace. After running the gauntlet of PMQs at noon he will endure a three-hour grilling from the powerful Liaison Committee – including some of his fiercest critics.

MailOnline understands Mr Javid will make what could be a highly damaging resignation statement in the Commons this afternoon, although Mr Sunak is not planning to use the platform. It will raise fears in No10 that he could try to emulate Geoffrey Howe’s parting shot in 1990 which helped topple Margaret Thatcher.

Mutinous Tories are urging the chair of the backbench 1922 committee, Sir Graham Brady, to step in and tell the premier his time is up. It meets this afternoon and they are vowing to change the party’s rules so he can be ousted if he tries to carry on.

Mr Quince tweeted: ‘With great sadness and regret, I have this morning tendered my resignation to the Prime Minister after I accepted and repeated assurances on Monday to the media which have now been found to be inaccurate.’

Senior backbenchers Robert Halfon and Chris Skidmore, as well as Red Wall MP Lee Anderson have also broken cover to say they have lost confidence in Mr Johnson.

But despite fears of massive damage to the Conservative brand Mr Johnson is showing no signs of conceding, apparently responding ‘f*** that’ when asked by aides about the possibility.

He told a meeting of Tory MPs last night that he wants to get on with cutting taxes, suggesting it had been Mr Sunak holding him back on the issue.

And the Mail+ revealed Mr Johnson has told friends people need to ‘stop bickering’.

‘I’m not going anywhere,’ he said. ‘I’m going to smash on and deliver for the people who gave us a massive mandate.’

Mr Zahawi – installed within hours of the resignations last night as the PM attempted to steady the ship – was sent out to broadcast studios to show support this morning.

He denied that he had threatened to quit in order to be handed the coveted No11 post, and asked if he wanted to take over from Mr Johnson he replied: ‘There is no vacancy.’

He told Sky News: ‘You don’t go into this job for an easy life, sometimes it’s easy to walk away, but it’s important to deliver for the country.’

The PM has been dubbed the ‘Greased Piglet’ for his ability to escape seemingly terminal political situations, but even former allies fear he might be cornered this time.

In more signs of support ebbing away, Laura Trott has quit as a ministerial aide.

A Government source insisted that Mr Zahawi – promoted from Education Secretary in the chaos following the double-resignation – is the ‘adventurous and buccaneering chancellor Britain needs’.

And Mr Johnson himself delivered another swipe at Mr Sunak, claiming he had been a block on easing the tax burden.

He told a hastily-convened meeting of Tory MPs last night: ‘I know you’re all avidly in favour of tax cuts and tonight’s events might make that a bit easier to deliver.’

The Government source said Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who has long coveted No11, was doing a ‘fabulous job’ but was ‘too critical to move’ given the crisis in Ukraine and the Northern Ireland Protocol row.

The PM appointed his chief of staff Steve Barclay to replace Mr Javid as Health Secretary.

Universities minister Michelle Donelan was promoted to Cabinet to replace Mr Zahawi.

The departure of two such senior ministers triggered speculation that the PM might face a mass walkout. Mr Javid said the public expected integrity and competence and warned Mr Johnson that voters were ‘concluding that we are now neither’.

Mr Sunak hinted at differences over tax and spending and said the public had a right to expect the Government to conduct itself ‘properly, competently and seriously’.

At a Cabinet meeting yesterday, the PM’s top team were pictured looking grim-faced at the latest crisis to engulf the Government.

One minister told the Mail: ‘You’ve seen the pictures, haven’t you? It was a case of ‘where are the cyanide pills?” But a string of senior figures quickly confirmed they would be staying, giving Mr Johnson a glimmer of hope that he could survive.

Andrew Mitchell, a former chief whip, compared Boris Johnson with Rasputin.

‘It’s a bit like the death of Rasputin. He’s been poisoned, stabbed, he’s been shot, his body’s been dumped in the freezing river and still, he lives,’ the Conservative MP told BBC Newsnight.

He was adamant that it was ‘over’ for the Prime Minister.

‘This is an abnormal Prime Minister – brilliantly charismatic, very funny, very amusing, big, big character, but I’m afraid he has neither the character nor the temperament to be our prime minister.’

It came after the release of a damaging letter by Lord McDonald of Salford which gave critics of Mr Johnson further ammunition over his appointment of alleged groper Chris Pincher to the whips office.

In his resignation letter, Mr Sunak warned that ‘we cannot continue like this and he was ready to sacrifice his political career.

‘The public rightly expects Government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously,’ he wrote.

Meanwhile, Mr Javid questioned Mr Johnson’s integrity, competence and ability to act in the national interest.

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