BORIS JOB WARNING AFTER POLL BLOW

PM TOLD HE HAS THREE MONTHS TO SORT IT OUT — OR RISK LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE

- Nicholas Cecil and David Bond

BORIS JOHNSON was today warned that he has three months in the new year to end the “selfinflicted wounds” in government or risk a leadership challenge.

As the Tories were rocked by a historic by-election defeat in North Shropshire, the Prime Minister was told that he had to get a grip after a series of controversies which has seen his party plummet in the polls. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, treasurer of the powerful 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, said the Government had to focus on key issues, such as dealing with the NHS treatment backlog, rather than be knocked off course by the No10 “Christmas party” row, the Owen Paterson sleaze storm U-turn and the furore over the funding of the refurbishment of Mr Johnson's Downing Street flat. He told the Evening Standard: “If the self-inflicted wounds go on for three months I think the party would be looking for a change in leader. But we are not anywhere near that at the moment. The Prime Minister has every opportunity to sort the situation out and continues to have my full support." His comments came just hours after the Prime Minister was hit by a thunderbolt defeat in the Shropshire by-election, triggered by the resignation of former Cabinet minister Mr Paterson amid a sleaze furore.