● 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.
This story is from the June 11, 2023 edition of Sunday Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 11, 2023 edition of Sunday Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Emily's expecting even more in '25
ENGLAND'S record points scorer Emily Scarratt is convinced 2025 is going to break new ground for women's rugby in this country.
LUKE: TRASH TALK IS JUST RUBBISH
WORLD CHAMPION Luke Humphries planted his standard at the summit of Alexandra Palace and sent out a warning to Peter 'Snakebite' Wright: \"Your trash talk won't work on me.\"
'Insecure' Elvis feared for future as Beatlemania was always on his mind
ELVIS Presley was all shook up and feared his music career would end when Beatlemania hit America 60 years ago.
Time to roll back the ‘harmful' nanny state
BRITAIN needs to roll back the nanny state and give its citizens more freedom to manage their own health and finances, an independent think tank has suggested.
Rapid nationalisation for failing train firms
BOSSES of failing train operators have been warned they could be fast-tracked for nationalisation.
Life after cancer: 'I am lucky to be here, but now I'm ready to move on'
DESPITE all of her career success Sarah Beeny reveals she is hugely proud that her four sons have formed a successful indie rock band.
growers AI to help cut global waste
RED SPIDER mites can devastate vegetable plants, as this image shows, but help is at hand thanks to artificial intelligence.
Monty brings blooming good news
PERENNIAL green-fingered favourite Monty Don shows no signs of wilting - and will host Gardeners' World for at least another two years.
Reeves: VAT on school fees will raise standards
CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves has defended the introduction of VAT on school fees by insisting it will lead to \"more teachers\" and \"higher standards\" in the state sector.
Homes face £45 bill hike to clear bad energy debt
PLANS to charge every household up to £45 extra on their energy bills, to help write off £1.29billion in customer debt are being considered by the Government.
