BO FORWARD
Boris Johnson WILL win next election and Partygate is just a ‘rough patch’, insists Dominic Raab
DOMINIC Raab today dismissed the Partygate scandal as a mid-term "rough patch" and insisted Boris Johnson will win the next election.
The deputy PM admitted the Tories are going through a "difficult period" but said he's "very confident" they'll come through it victorious.
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And he claimed a "majority" of Conservative MPs have now "rallied behind" their party leader and want to move on from the Sue Gray report.
Mr Raab acknowledged that the police investigation into 12 separate parties at Downing St during lockdown was a "very serious issue".
But he said the PM had shown "contrition" in his Commons apology and vowed to overhaul No 10's outdated management structure.
Boris is also said to have won over many backbenchers last night by promising to spend much more time listening to their concerns.
Asked if he fancies a tilt at the top job, Mr Raab said: "I'm fully supporting this Prime Minister.
"He will go on, he will win the next election, I'm very confident of that."
The deputy PM added: "He recognises the problems, he wants to fix it. Frankly we also want to be continuing to deal with the big decisions facing the country.
"The economy is firing, the vaccine rollout has been a spectacular success. People want to see us getting on with the job.
"Of course you'll always be able to find critics, but the overwhelming majority of Conservative MPs have rallied behind
"Overwhelmingly MPs backing him, wanting to see us getting on with the job."
Boris was handed a big boost this morning as Scotland Secretary Alistair Jack said he should stay in the job.
He said: "I want the right person to run this country and I believe Boris Johnson is an excellent PM. I work very closely with him."
TORY REBELS
But the PM is still facing a rough ride with many backbenchers who remain unconvinced by his performance.
Ex Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell accused him of running No 10 "like a medieval court" and said he should go.
He added: "I think this is a crisis that is not going to go away and is doing very great damage to the party.
"It is more corrosive in my judgement than the expenses scandal was and it will break the coalition that is the Conservative Party."
And former Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith today laid into the PM for false claims he made about Keir Starmer.
Yesterday the PM claimed in a Commons debate that the Labour leader had failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile.
Mr Smith said: "The smear made against Keir Starmer relating to Jimmy Savile yesterday is wrong and cannot be defended. It should be withdrawn.
"False and baseless personal slurs are dangerous, corrode trust and can't just be accepted as part of the cut and thrust of parliamentary debate."
The problem is that Boris is running a modern government like a medieval court
Ex Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell
Rebels who want the PM gone admit they're unlikely to get enough letters to force a confidence vote for now.
Boris and his shadow whipping operation have steadied the ship and look set to ride out the watered down Sue Gray report.
But he will face fresh peril when the Met concludes its investigation into 12 parties at No 10.
The PM is said to have been present at four of those events and could be questioned by officers any day, along with his wife Carrie.
When the police probe wraps up Ms Gray is expected to publish her full findings, which could include more damaging revelations.
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And the Tories are facing tricky local elections on May 5, where a bad result could heap more pressure on Boris.
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