Rishi Sunak was reportedly told not to quit his post over Partygate as it would be seen 'an act of regicide' against Boris Johnson.
The embattled Chancellor, already fighting for his reputation over his wife's tax affairs, was ominously silent for hours last night.
He and the PM each paid £50 Met Police fines for attending a lockdown-busting birthday bash on 19 June 2020 - yet despite being the first PM ever fined for breaking the law, Mr Johnson tried to cling to his job.
And an ally of Mr Sunak complained to Playbook that he was "extremely hard done by". It's claimed he hadn't expected to get fined over a nine-minute bash, which he just happened to be in the room for after a meeting.
But it's reported he was warned against resigning to avoid adding more pressure on the Prime Minister to do the same. And eventually he issued a statement saying he was "focused on delivering for the British people".
Allies of the Chancellor this morning dismissed the reports he had considered resigning.
On Tuesday Boris Johnson became the first sitting prime minister to break the law after he was fined by police over the Partygate scandal. The Tory leader went on to offer up a "full apology" for breaching his own Covid laws but has refused to resign.
His wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were also issued fixed penalty notices for attending the PM's lockdown-busting birthday party on 19 June, 2020.
According to The Times Mr Sunak had 'agonised for hours' over whether he should quit and spent the afternoon discussing his future amongst aides and allies.
The Chancellor had to be talked out of leaving his post, claim reports, because it could pile more pressure on the Prime Minister to join him in resigning.
He is claimed to have believed he couldn't remain in his post but would remain in politics.
But friends reportedly warned him his resignation could be seen as an 'act of regicide' against Johnson and harm chances he might have of succeeding him.
One source was quoted by The Times as saying: "He is a very honourable man and feels very badly let down by being dragged into this.
“It is only natural for him to be considering what this means for him.”
Another said: “Rishi’s view is he was just there for a meeting, and now he’s getting humiliated for something he never wanted to do. He is a man of honour and he genuinely is thinking about whether he can still be part of this.”
Speaking after the fines were revealed Sunak said: "I offer an unreserved apology.
"I understand that for figures in public office, the rules must be applied stringently in order to maintain public confidence. I respect the decision that has been made and have paid the fine.
"I know people sacrificed a great deal during Covid, and they will find this situation upsetting. I deeply regret the frustration and anger caused and I am sorry.
"Like the Prime Minister, I am focused on delivering for the British people at this challenging time."
A Tory MP today became the first to suggest Boris Johnson should resign over his Partygate fine - breaking ranks from obedient Conservatives.
Nigel Mills said people were “rightly angry” that the Prime Minister did not have the “decency or sense” to follow his own Covid rules while they did.
Asked if the PM should resign, Mr Mills told BBC Radio Derby: “In all conscience I don’t think a prime minister can survive or should survive breaking the rules he put in place and he was on the TV every few nights reminding us all that we should observe.
“We have to have higher standards than that of people at the top.
“He has been fined, I don’t think his position is tenable, in my view.”
But other MPs who called for the PM to quit earlier this year have now backtracked, claiming the Ukraine war is the wrong time for a leadership contest.
Cabinet ministers including Nadine Dorries, Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng supported the Prime Minister after he apologised for attending a lockdown-breaking birthday bash.
And Tory ex-PM Edwina Currie boasted “I don’t care, I really don’t care” that Boris Johnson broke the law and lied because the Tories will win elections anyway.
But Mr Johnson faces a bumpy few weeks ahead with the prospect of more fines and the May local elections giving voters a chance to have their views known.
Many of his allies had believed he had he was likely to avoid getting fined - so the Met's decision came as a shock to No 10.
Boris Johnson defender Grant Shapps claimed the PM was “completely mortified” by his own illegal birthday party and insisted the PM didn't knowingly lie.
He was confronted by Sky News host Kay Burley who repeatedly questioned whether Boris Johnson was an “honourable man”.
And he was grilled by a BBC presented who quoted the testimony of bereaved families who think the PM must resign - leaving him briefly speechless.
Mr Shapps told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “He was frankly embarrassed, he appreciates what happened was wrong and indefensible… he’s mortified.”
He added: “He said to me it was stupid, it was indefensible, he’s mortified he didn’t see it at the time.”
The Transport Secretary said what happened was “deeply upsetting”, pointing out he couldn’t see his father in hospital for months during lockdown.
Yet he claimed the Tory leader should not resign because he’s got “the big calls right”.
“By the same logic, anybody who broke a lockdown law in their job would go,” he added - despite a court last year hearing a police officer who walked in Snowdonia in lockdown would lose his job.
