BORIS FIGHTS ON AS MORE GO

SERIES OF NEW RESIGNATIONS- AND LETTERS GO IN TO TORY 1922 CHIEF

- Nicholas Cecil, David Bond, Rachael Burford

BORIS JOHNSON was fighting on in No10 as his premiership was hit by more resignations today.

His newly-appointed Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi was rushed out onto the airwaves early this morning, less than 12 hours after being promoted to the Treasury, to defend the Prime Minister. He signalled more tax cuts were on the way - as being demanded by Tory MPs. But the mood at Westminster was frenzied with several more resignations and Conservative MPs calling for Mr Johnson to go. The Prime Minister remained defiant in the face of the fresh setbacks. He was reported to have told friends: "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to smash on and deliver for the people who gave us a massive mandate." He is said to have added: "Everyone just needs to calm down, stop bickering and let us get on with the job in hand."

However, shortly after 8.30am this morning, Will Quince quit as children and families minister. He said he had "no choice" but to resign after he appeared on television to defend Mr Johnson over the Chris Pincher "groping" scandal using Downing Street briefings "which have now been found to be inaccurate".

Around an hour later, school standards minister Robin Walker also stood down saying that "recent events have made it clear to me that our great party, for which I have campaigned all of my adult life, has become distracted from its core missions by a relentless focus on questions over leadership".

But perhaps more worrying for Mr Johnson was that Harlow MP Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons education committee, and Ashfield MP Lee Anderson withdrew their support from the Prime Minister.

Mr Halfon said: "The parties at No10 Downing Street were bad enough but the appointment of this individual (Mr Pincher as deputy chief whip) and the untruthful statement about what was known is unacceptable to me."