Boris Johnson needs to sort ‘personal issues’ and get agenda back on track, says senior Tory MP

A senior Conservative warned Boris Johnson he needed to clarify his “personal issues” and get the Government’s agenda back on track on Friday, as the Prime Minister faces growing questions over his leadership.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Treasurer for the influential 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs, said Mr Johnson was going through a “very, very difficult time” as he faces a major rebellion from members of his own party over plans to introduce tougher Covid restrictions.

At the same time the Prime Minister is battling further claims over the involvement of one of his most senior advisers - director of communications Jack Doyle - in last year’s alleged Christmas party at Downing Street which is now the subject of an investigation by the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.

The question of who paid for the refurbishment of Mr Johnson’s Downing Street flat is also back in the spotlight after the Electoral Commission fined the Conservative Party for failing to properly donations from Tory peer Lord Brownlow.

The news comes as two new polls put Labour ahead of the Conservatives with a YouGov poll for The Times showing a four point lead for Sir Keir Starmer’s party - its biggest since January.

Asked whether Mr Johnson would still be in post this time next year by LBC this morning, Sir Geoffrey said: “It’s really a very, very difficult time for the Prime Minister at the moment.

“If he comes back in the new year refreshed and able to differentiate between his private life and his public life and clarify all the issues and then start to do the really big issues this country needs - restoring the NHS, dealing with carbon emissions and Cop 26, how we deal with the economy, helping businesses, if we can get on to that agenda away from these personal issues then I think he is fine.

“But if we go on having these what I call personal issues, issues of judgment by the Prime Minister then I think that’s a very different scenario.”

With as many as 50 Tory MPs preparing to vote against the introduction of Covid passports to enter larger indoor venues from next Wednesday, Mr Johnson is facing a real test of his Premiership whenm the Plan B measures are debated by MPs next Tuesday.

Another Conservative backbencher, Craig Mackinlay, on Friday signaled his intention to vote against the new restrictions.

He tweeted: “A huge supporter #CovidVaccine but opposed to #VaccinePassport & any mandation in a free society. It comes as no surprise that I’ll vote against these measures.

“Evidence not there to start down the lockdown road again. ‘Just in case’ isn’t good enough to destroy more jobs & lives.”

Paul Scully, Business Minister, defended the Prime Minister, insisting he was “very comfortable” with his integrity.

But he added: “Clearly though I don’t feel comfortable abaout the fact that it’s been a difficult week for the Government and we haven’t been able to get across the measures we are making...All of those things are unfortunately in communications getting lost, the communications, because of this situation, that’s what I feel really uncomfortable about.”