‘Boris will stay in the job... he's human and we make mistakes'

BORIS Johnson is safe in his job and getting on with delivering for Britain, the Education Secretary has insisted.

- Macer Hall

Nadhim Zahawi yesterday rejected claims the Prime Minister is in danger of being forced out of Downing Street in the row over partying.

He also dismissed reports of Mr Johnson’s allies launching a policy blitz called Operation Big Dog to deflect attention away from the No 10 scandal.

Mr Zahawi said: “I don’t recognise that at all. Government doesn’t work like that.”

But the scale of discontent in the Tory ranks was underlined by a serving Cabinet minister and an influential former minister yesterday.

The Prime Minister’s leadership was openly questioned by Science Minister George Freeman, who said he was “shocked and flabbergasted” by the revelations of boozy partying.

He said they caused “serious damage” to public trust in Government and he questioned why some No 10 staff were holding parties when the public “couldn’t see dying loved ones”.