'ELECTORAL SLAUGHTER'

As third MP resigns, Tories warned they are heading for...

- David Williamson and Jonathan Walker

● Concerns more will quit as civil war rages 

● Team Boris: 'He'll be back bigger than ever'

● Rishi accused of breaking secret pact

BORIS Johnson will be back "bigger and better than ever" his allies warned last night, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faced the nightmare of three by-elections and a party at war.

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 it is heading for disaster at the polls and "on track for electoral slaughter".

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 breakdown was apparently sparked by an 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. But Mr Johnson's allies say No10 breached those promises when five names including that of Ms Dorries were removed from his 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.