In the latest signal that Mr Johnson has no intention of quitting frontline politics, a source close to him accused the Prime Minister of “total political ineptitude”, saying the Tory leader has “bitten off more than he can chew”.
They warned: “Boris will be back bigger and better than ever. This is game on.”
But the infighting is causing consternation within the party. There are fears they are heading for disaster at the polls and “on track for electoral slaughter”.
READ MORE: Tory chair savages ‘Blob’ for blocking Brexit and forcing Boris out
The first signs of trouble came on Friday, when former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries announced she was resigning.
Asked about her decision she declined to go into details but said “something significant did happen to change my mind”. Hours later, Mr Johnson said he was also quitting.
Yesterday, Nigel Adams – an arch-Boris loyalist – also quit the Commons.
The extraordinary breakdown was apparently sparked by a under-the-radar meeting in the Prime Minister’s Commons office at the start of the month.
Mr Johnson reportedly urged the PM to approve his resignation honours list. He would then campaign for the Conservatives in “red wall” seats at the next election.
Mr Johnson’s allies say No10 breached those promises when five names – including Ms Dorries’ – were removed from his honours list.
They have also claimed Tories on the privileges committee – which investigated allegations of lockdown rule breaking by the former PM – were encouraged to make their findings damning.
Government insiders say both claims are ‘flat out lies’ and an effort by Mr Johnson to ‘burn the house down’.
One source pointed out that honours were approved by the House of Lords Appointments Commission, it was this group which removed the names.
“A Prime Minister cannot interfere in that process”, they said.
But Mr Sunak now faces three by-elections and his authority will be undermined if the party loses the seats held onto under Mr Johnson’s rule. But one silver lining for the PM is that his own MPs will no longer be asked to vote on Mr Johnson’s fate over lockdown breaches.
His allies have condemned his treatment, with supporters saying he is the victim of a “constant character assassination” conspiracy.
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His critics, meanwhile, argued it was time to move on, saying: “Boris did good things but he is now yesterday’s man.”
Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says his party has the chance to deliver a “historic victory” by winning Mr Johnson’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.
Mr Sunak now faces the challenge of holding onto the three constituencies, uniting his party and delivering on key pledges in the run-up to the election expected next year.
A senior Tory backbencher argued that things cannot continue as they are, saying: “As the polls now repeatedly demonstrate, the Conservative Party is on track for electoral slaughter and every backbencher, in their heart of hearts, already knows it. Loyalty to your leader is laudable but sheer suicide is not.”
Defenders of Mr Johnson say the ex-PM could make a dramatic comeback by winning a safe Conservative seat.
This would set the scene for a post-election return to frontline politics.
Mr Johnson announced his resignation on Friday night ahead of the imminent publication of the privileges committee’s report into whether he misled MPs about so-called “partygate”.
The committee, chaired by former deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman, was reportedly preparing to recommend a 10-day suspension from the Commons for Mr Johnson. This could have led to a recall petition and a by-election.
But one former minister said Mr Johnson had done Mr Sunak an “absolutely massive favour” by resigning because it meant MPs would not have to vote on his predecessor’s fate.
He said: “If this had gone to the floor of the House it would have split the Conservative party at least 50/50. It would have been absolute carnage.”
YouGov polling shows that six in ten (62%) Britons think Mr Johnson made the right decision to resign – with just 19 per cent saying he was wrong to quit the Commons.
Newly-knighted former Business Secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said Mr Johnson had “short-circuited” the privileges committee and its report “is now irrelevant”.
Sir Jacob said Boris is now in a “strong position” with “a lot of public sympathy”.
“He is the one Tory politician who the Labour party is really frightened of which is why they made such an effort to bring him down,” he said. “He now has the opportunity of getting back into Parliament in a much safer seat at the next election.”
However, Sir Jacob did not support any attempt to oust Mr Sunak, saying: “I think it’s very difficult to see how a leadership change would make our electoral prospects better.”
Great Grimsby Conservative MP Lia Nici, who served as an aide to Mr Johnson, said he may have “played a blinder” and outwitted his foes.
She said: “They may have thought they have got him in check but they certainly haven’t got him in checkmate.”
Former senior minister Sir Mike Penning said: “Politics is worse for Boris not being there, and it will be better if he returns. You need people with charisma and personality in politics and he has that in abundance.”
A former cabinet minister turned their guns on Mr Johnson’s Tory opponents, saying: “I think he has been treated absolutely appallingly by an ungrateful parliamentary Conservative party who should look at themselves in the mirror and realise they only occupy the seats that they do because of Boris Johnson.”
The top Tory doubted that Mr Sunak would be removed from post because the PM had a stern message for MPs: “If you change me then quite frankly there will be a general election and we are all going to die.”
There is frustration in Tory ranks that public attention is now focused on divisions in the Conservative party.
A former cabinet minister said: “The Labour party is getting away with murder at the minute and it’s all self-inflicted. They are in bed with the Luddites.”
“There is a coalition of chaos looming but all the media is focusing on is us. We are digging a bigger and bigger hole for ourselves.”
“Downing Street is very worried now. Rishi is still where he was – 15 points behind.”
“He has made no inroads and all this has just made it even more difficult for him to close the gap on Labour.”
Other senior Conservatives hope the party will now leave behind the chaos of recent years.
Damian Green, who served as Theresa May’s de facto deputy prime minister, said: “The party needs to rebuild and Rishi has started that process. Boris did good things, including defeating the hard left, but he is now yesterday’s man.”
A senior and long-serving Conservative MP said: “For the last year we have been living in the half-life of Boris Johnson. His unfortunate attack on the privileges committee is a serious error of judgment and an attack on Parliament itself.”
Former Brexit Secretary David Davis told GB News: “The truth of the matter is, ask around parliament, ask most of the MPs, most people are fairly sure he misled the house. And he did so many, many times and he did so knowing that these parties had occurred and he’d been at some of them.”
Former children’s minister Tim Loughton is glad Mr Johnson is out of Downing Street.
He said: “Just think of the additional damage it would be causing if he were still in No 10… Time to draw a line under Boris baggage and let Rishi get on with the job we all need him to do.”
Tory MP Bob Seely told Times Radio that Mr Johnson “ain’t going to be leader of the Conservative Party again” and that his achievements were “all in the past”.
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