Boris Johnson latest news: David Davis tells PM 'in the name of God, go'

• Bury MP Christian Wakeford defects to Labour

• Meet the MPs leading the 'pork pie plot' rebellion

• Boris Johnson was 'close to tears' pleading with MPs

• What would happen in a vote of no confidence?

• Runners and riders who could replace Boris Johnson

• Covid latest: End of Plan B rules

The former Brexit minister has demanded Boris Johnson's resignation during Prime Minister's Questions, as he told the PM: "In the name of God, go!"

David Davis said he spent "weeks and months defending the Prime Minister" and reminded constituents of his success in delivering Brexit and the vaccine rollout.

"But I expect my leaders to shoulder the responsibility for the actions they take," he told MPs. "Yesterday, he did the opposite of that.

"So I'll remind him of a quotation altogether too familiar to him - of Leo Amery to Neville Chamberlain - 'You have sat there too long, for all you have done. In the name of God, go!'"

Outside the Commons, Mr Davis told The Guardian: "It’s not what I expect from a leader. Up until now I had been supporting him, but it’s not leadership. Yesterday’s interview was an attempt to escape responsibility not to shoulder it. And that is a test of leadership."

It came after as many as 11 of Mr Johnson's own Red Wall MPs submitted letters of no confidence this morning as part of a 'pork pie plot' to oust him and Christian Wakeford, the Tory MP for Bury North, defected to Labour.

Follow the latest below.

04:41 PM

No more face masks in classrooms and other school rule changes

As of tomorrow, neither staff nor pupils will be required to wear face masks in classrooms - a decision that is part of the beginning of the lifting of Plan B restrictions in England.

Boris Johnson announced in a statement to MPs today that the country will return to Plan A next Wednesday.

The Prime Minister told the Commons: "Having looked at the data carefully, the Cabinet concluded that once regulations lapse the Government will no longer mandate the wearing of face masks anywhere."

He went on to say that as of tomorrow, face masks would no longer be mandatory in classrooms and that the Department for Education would determine the removal of their use in communal areas shortly.

Matthew Robinson has more here

04:21 PM

Nadhim Zahawi 'really pleased' masks in schools will end

The Education Secretary said he was "really pleased" that face coverings will no longer be required in secondary school classrooms from tomorrow.

"I said I wouldn't keep them a day longer than necessary and as of tomorrow the guidance will change so you don't have to wear face masks in the classroom," Nadhim Zahawi told reporters.

"We see all the evidence of the harms of not being in school in the previous lockdown so I think it was the right decision, I'm really pleased.

"I've worked very closely with the frontline and I thank teachers and of course support staff and the unions who've worked with us on this."

04:13 PM

Andrew Bowie: Boris Johnson must consider position

The country needs leadership and not a party "at war with itself", Andrew Bowie said as he urged Boris Johnson to consider his position.

Mr Bowie, the MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine and a vice-chairman of the Conservative Party, said to "many people" the image of a divided party would be cutting through.

"I think the Prime Minister should be considering his position but my position is that we need to wait to see what the facts were," he told BBC's Politics Live programme.

Mr Bowie added that Mr Johnson was in "quite a lot of trouble" amid the ongoing row over Downing Street parties.

03:56 PM

No confidence vote could be as soon as 'next week'

A no confidence vote in Boris Johnson could take place as soon as next week, one of the Tory rebels calling for his resignation has said.

"I think we're pretty close, I wouldn't be surprised if we crossed the 54-letter threshold this week which means we would be having a confidence vote of the Conservative Party next week," Andrew Bridgen, the MP for North West Leicestershire, told the BBC.

Asked why he would want a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister before publication of the report currently being produced by the Cabinet Office, Mr Bridgen said "the workload [Sue Gray's] got now is almost more than when she first started.

"In the meantime, the Prime Minister and the Government are effectively paralysed with every lever being used to defend the Prime Minister. That's not the job of government, we're here to serve the people."

03:34 PM

The history behind 'In the name of God, go!'

"In the name of God, go!"

Conservative MP David Davis urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign today with a powerful quote.

First used by Oliver Cromwell, these words were directed by MP Leo Amery at the 'appeasement' prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, in May 1940. pic.twitter.com/Fvrbj3kNX5

— History Hit💥 (@HistoryHit) January 19, 2022

03:30 PM

EU needs to be 'tough' on the UK, says Emmanuel Macron

Emmanuel Macron has called on the European Union to be "tough" with the UK and force it to stick to its Brexit commitments on the Northern Ireland protocol and fishing.

In a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the French president also said that the EU must commit to "strategic rearmament" in the face of threats notably from Russia, with whom he called for "frank and demanding" talks.

The EU must beef up its defence to avoid "war", he added.

In an address marking France’s six-month rotating presidency of the EU, Mr Macron said that Europe and the UK needed to "regain trust in one another" in the wake of tensions over Brexit and the Withdrawal Agreement.

"We want to make certain that the agreements entered into are respected when it comes to the rights of our fishermen or the Northern Ireland protocol or vital discussions which have to be had in the future," he told MEPs.

Henry Samuel and James Crisp have this report

03:19 PM

The Churchill biographer 'who has become Chamberlain'

For a man who idolises Winston Churchill, being compared with Neville Chamberlain was perhaps the ultimate insult, writes Gordon Rayner.

Boris Johnson was told by David Davis to resign “in the name of God”, as the former Brexit secretary repeated the words of Tory MP Leo Amery which helped bring about Chamberlain’s resignation in May 1940.

It was during a debate on the progress of the ill-fated Norwegian Campaign eight months into the Second World War that Amery made his famous intervention.

A former First Lord of the Admiralty who went on to serve in Churchill’s wartime Cabinet, Amery had been a staunch critic of Chamberlain’s appeasement policy before the war and told the Commons that he was failing as prime minister and losing the conflict.

With Germany on the brink of invading France (which would force the Dunkirk evacuation later that month), Amery told MPs: “Somehow or other we must get into the Government men who can match our enemies in fighting spirit, in daring, in resolution and in thirst for victory.”

Analysis: Why David Davis's comments were the ultimate insult

03:12 PM

'Good riddance to bad rubbish'

It's safe to say Christian Wakeford's defection to Labour has drawn strong reactions among his former colleagues (see 2.54pm).

Lee Anderson told GB News: "I'd like to say I'm surprised, but if anyone was going to defect it'd be Christian Wakeford - 'Wokeford', as we call him in that place over there.

"He's been very vocal in his non-support of the Prime Minister, he's upset colleagues quite a few times with some of his tweets and his messages and I say good riddance to bad rubbish."

Mr Wakeford wasted no time changing his Twitter bio to "Labour MP for Bury South" - the first time he has been quite this complimentary about the party on his social media.

He has previously used the site to accuse his new political home of "not wanting to waste a good crisis", saying constituents "just can't trust Labour with Brexit", and writing: "Forget the magic money tree, it's an entire forest for the Labour Party".

03:02 PM

What happens if Boris Johnson is ousted as Prime Minister?

With dozens of young Tory MPs now threatening to sink Boris Johnson’s premiership, there is only one question being asked in Westminster at the moment - will they reach 54?

It is the so-called “magic number” of letters that need to be submitted by disillusioned MPs to trigger a no confidence vote and determine whether the Prime Minister remains in office.

Should the threshold be reached, recent history suggests Mr Johnson’s fate could be decided within hours rather than days.

However, even if the Prime Minister were to survive a challenge, it is by no-means certain that he could continue to cling onto power having lost the support of so many of his backbenchers.

Harry Yorke has all the details

02:54 PM

Bury South didn't vote 'woke', Tory MP tells Christian Wakeford

Tory MPs have reacted with "complete and utter disgust" to the defection of Christian Wakeford, Jonathan Gullis has said.

The MP for Stoke-on-Trent North referred to his now-former colleague as "Christian Wokeford" on Sky News, pointing out he had ran on a ticket of "stronger orders, to get Brexit done, and level up our country".

"I hope he'll explain to voters in Bury South and the wider public and guarantee that there will never be another incident of antisemitism in the Labour Party because if he can't, he's going against what Ivan Lewis, his predecessor, the former Labour MP said, which is that they should vote Conservative in Bury South, and they did.

"They voted for a Conservative agenda, not the Labour woke agenda that we're seeing today."

Mr Jonathan said the "hope" was that colleagues would withdraw their letters to Sir Graham Brady, which speculation suggests is currently happening, but clarified he had not spoken to anyone who had done this.

Meanwhile, Dehenna Davison - another 2019 'Red Wall' Tory MP - told Christopher Hope, The Telegraph's own Chief Political Correspondent, that rumours in Westminster suggesting she might be the next Tory MP to defect to Labour are "complete bulls---".

02:40 PM

Christian Wakeford: Backlash from Labour activists to party's newest MP

The youth wing of Labour has not quite echoed its party leader's welcoming words towards new recruit Christian Wakeford (see 12.07pm), who just this morning was the Tory MP for Bury South.

"Christian Wakeford MP should not be admitted to the Labour Party," Young Labour said in a Twitter thread. "He has consistently voted against the interests of working-class people; for the £20 universal credit cut, for the Nationality and Borders Bill and for the Police and Crime Bill. Young Labour does not welcome him.

"Christian Wakeford himself co-sponsored a bill mandating by-elections for MPs who change party affiliation. The Labour Party must uphold Bury South members’ right to choose their own Labour candidate and constituents should be able to reassess their MP."

Joshua Harcup, the Youth Officer in the Bury South Young Labour Party, said Lucy Burke - Labour's 2019 candidate in the constituency - "should be the Labour MP for Bury South right now... She is the most caring, fearless and determined person."

Meanwhile the Prime Minister's press secretary said Number 10 was "sorry to see a colleague [representing] constituents who voted for a Boris Johnson-led government leave in an attempt to put Keir Starmer in Number 10, which would be a disaster for the country".

"The Conservative Party won Bury South on an agenda of levelling-up and uniting to deliver for the public."

02:28 PM

Boris Johnson: No more masks and back to the office as Plan B restrictions removed

Plan B measures aimed at tackling the spread of Covid-19 are to be dropped across England, the Prime Minister has announced.

Boris Johnson told MPs that people will no longer be told to work from home and, from Thursday next week when Plan B measures lapse, mandatory Covid certification will end.

"From now on, the Government is no longer asking people to work from home, and people should now speak to their employers about arrangements for returning to the office," Mr Johnson said.

"And having looked at the data carefully, the Cabinet concluded that once regulations lapse, the Government will no longer mandate the wearing of face masks anywhere.

"From tomorrow we will no longer require face masks in classrooms, and the Department for Education will shortly remove national guidance on their use in communal areas. In the country at large, we will continue to suggest the use of face coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces... but we will trust the judgement of the British people and no longer criminalise anyone who chooses not to wear one."

02:21 PM

Tom Harris: A defector united the Tories... but it was still a PMQs to forget for Boris

Defections between the two main parties are rare and, as a consequence, they are significant, writes Tom Harris.

Today the tap was turned back on, with the extraordinary decision by Christian Wakeford, the Bury South MP, to join the Labour Party. He will be accused by some of opportunism, even of cynicism – he won the seat in 2019, after all, with a hairsbreadth majority of just 402.

But turning your back on your party takes guts and has devastating political as well as social consequences. Which is why such defections are so rare and why he should be respected for his courage.

Thanks to the ongoing 'partygate' scandal and the defection of one of his own MPs, this has been a very bad day for the Prime Minister - but it could have been worse.

Tom Harris: If Labour is safe for a Tory MP, why not Tory voters?

02:18 PM

Sir Lindsay Hoyle speaks for us all...

Lindsay Hoyle's "What. A. Day." pic.twitter.com/2ABdX4LUlx

— Ben Walker (@bnhwalker) January 19, 2022

02:12 PM

Is Christian Wakeford joining Labour a 'unifying moment'?

Could Christian Wakeford's defection to the Labour Party actually help Boris Johnson by uniting the Conservative Party?

Jake Berry, chairman of the Northern Research Group, said it will be a "unifying moment for many 2019 colleagues who've worked with him and count him among their friends, and that includes me.

"I think really that demonstrates actually that parties that don't stick together end up losing elections, and I think it's a timely reminder for colleagues to get behind the Prime Minister."

01:49 PM

Pork pie plot: Meet the MPs leading the rebellion against Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson is facing a growing rebellion from Tory MPs fed up with his handling of 'Partygate' and fearful that voters are losing patience with the party, writes Danielle Sheridan.

It was in the office belonging to Alicia Kearns, the MP for Rutland and Melton - home to the pork pie - that more than a dozen ‘newbie’ Conservative MPs met for crisis talks about the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile Gary Sambrook, the MP for Birmingham Northfield, said in a statement to his constituents: "I would expect anyone who is found to have broken the law to seriously consider their position in Government, and that includes the Prime Minister.

Here are the 'pork pie plot' rebels putting the PM in a pickle

01:43 PM

Health chief: It's 'not over' for the NHS

The chief executive of NHS Providers has said it's "not over for the NHS" as Boris Johnson eases most Covid restrictions, with the health service "incredibly busy in a lot of places".

"Yes, London has stabilised, but London is not the same as the rest of the country," Chris Hopson told BBC Radio 4's World At One.

"I think we recognise that the Government is making these decisions in a political environment and they've got a number of different things they need to balance.

"The point I would just like all of our politicians to realise is this has had a very significant impact on the NHS. It means for example as we come out of this surge, we won't be able to recover care backlogs and get back to that task which we were actually doing really, really well before this omicron surge hit."

01:33 PM

'Operation Domino': Is Christian Wakeford the first of many?

Labour sources have revealed that Sir Keir Starmer secretly met then Tory MP Christian Wakeford on Monday to discuss his potential defection, writes Ben Riley-Smith.

The discussion between the Labour leader and Mr Wakeford, the Bury South MP, shows that his crossing of the aisle was not impulsively done today.

Will others join Mr Wakeford and switch from Labour to the Tories?

Labour sources are eagerly telling journalists the defection drive has been dubbed 'Operation Domino'. Whether that proves true remains to be seen, but Labour are cock-a-hoop.

01:28 PM

We need to get on with the job, says Cabinet minister

Simon Clarke, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury who backed Boris Johnson for leadership in 2019, said Sue Gray's report would be an "important moment".

However, Mr Clarke said the country would "get on with the job of getting the country through the Covid pandemic" and heralded the "fantastic news" of Covid restrictions being eased.

"We need to honour the manifesto on which were elected under Boris Johnson with a huge majority two years ago. That is the right thing to do and I think that is what my constituents would want to see happen as much as anyone else.

"The Prime Minister has committed that he will come back, give a statement and take questions from that colleagues at that time. But does the other stuff matter? Of course it does."

01:18 PM

Watch as Christian Wakeford crosses Commons floor and defects to Labour

01:12 PM

'Boris has a majority of 80 - but hasn't been able to move on'

Tony Diver, our Political Correspondent, noted that Theresa May - who always sits three rows back from the front bench, right on the end - was sharing a joke with another MP "just as Boris was really getting pummelled by Keir Starmer in him, laying out all the evidence".

"She leant over to one of her colleagues and shared a joke with her. And the two of them are having a bit of a chuckle and that sort of shade... I mean, she's been there, she knows what that's like to stand on the front bench and get absolutely pasted. And then she went through the process of a vote of no confidence among her own MPs."

"That Theresa May comparisons is really important because she faced a vote of no confidence during a hung parliament," Mutaz Ahmed added.

"She had nowhere to go and she can do anything she couldn't get on with her agenda. She was stuck... Boris Johnson has a majority of 80 and if you look at the last week he hasn't been able to move on and move the conversation on."

As Mutaz pointed out, a lot MPs will now be thinking: "What are the next three years going to look like?"

01:03 PM

'Very, very bad' PMQs for Boris Johnson

Olivia Utley, our Assistant Comment Editor, said Sir Keir Starmer "went off the boil a bit after starting off very strong" by getting into a "lawyerly way".

"The way he went on and on about all the details, I could see from the office people were switching off a little bit. Which given what a bad situation this is for Boris Johnson didn't seem great from Starmer.

"That David Davis intervention was just so shocking, and you've got Wakeford sitting behind Starmer and it did look very, very bad."

Mutaz Ahmed, our comment journalist, said he thinks Sir Keir "should have been a little more serious" but it has been a "terrible week" for the Prime Minister.

"It's clearly much bigger than Sue Gray now. These MPs are thinking about the last two years, the fact there's basically been no agenda... The policies and communications were handled poorly, whatever side of the Covid debate you were on, and they're thinking about the next three years.

"Talk about Operation Red Meat. Apart from some BBC reform, what really is there? What is levelling up? So it's now much bigger than Sue Gray and that's where the danger is because it's much more difficult for the Prime Minister to extricate himself from that mess."

01:00 PM

'Astonishing drama'

Tony Diver, our Political Correspondent, said today was "by far the most extraordinary Prime Minister's Questions I've watched in person" with "astonishing" amounts of drama.

"There was all of that opening exchange which was often the most exciting bit, but what was going on on the Labour frontbench was overshadowed by a Tory MP [defecting] to the Labour Party.

"There was pretty full-throated support for the PM on the Tory benches and on the Labour benches just absolute pandemonium.

"David Davis has often been critical of the Prime Minister, he ran for the Tory leadership himself, but he's critical on a number of issues. But really no one had any idea he was close to doing what he did today, which is stand up in the 38th minute of Prime Minister's Questions and say in the name of God, Boris Johnson should go."

12:49 PM

Your post-match analysis after PMQs...

David Knowles, Tony Diver, Olivia Utley and Mutaz Ahmed will be live on Twitter Spaces in a few minutes to unpack an explosive Prime Minister's Questions.

While Boris Johnson may have hoped to get away without being confronted any his own party, David Davis twisted the proverbial knife at the end, as he compared Mr Johnson - who idolises Winston Churchill - to Neville Chamberlain and called for him to resign.

Listen live to their unmissable analysis from 12.55pm

12:48 PM

Compulsory Covid measures to expire

Mr Johnson has said that Plan B measures would be allowed to expire and that from Thursday next week (January 27) mandatory Covid passes will end, writes Sam Hall.

The Government will no longer mandate the use of face masks anywhere from that point onward, Boris Johnson has told the Commons.

"From tomorrow we will no longer require face masks in classrooms," he says, to huge cheers from the Tory benches.

Self-isolation measures will remain, and in particular it will stay a legal requirement for people to quarantine, but Mr Johnson says these will end in March - or sooner - "if the data allow".

12:38 PM

David Davis tells Boris Johnson: 'In the name of God, go'

David Davis, the Tory MP, has called for Boris Johnson to resign during Prime Minister's Questions.

Mr Davis says he spent "weeks and months defending the Prime Minister" and reminded constituents of his success in delivering Brexit and the vaccine rollout.

"But I expect my leaders to shoulder the responsibility for the actions they take. Yesterday, he did the opposite of that.

"So I'll remind him of a quotation altogether too familiar to him - of Leo Amery to Neville Chamberlain - 'You have sat there too long, for all you have done. In the name of God, go!'"

12:36 PM

'Trying to convince the public he's stupid'

Dame Diana Johnson, the Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull North, accuses Boris Johnson of "trying to convince the public he's stupid rather than dishonest".

Mr Johnson says the public has responded in a way that has "beaten Covid and helped to defeat Covid so far, and I thank them".

Sir Robert Goodwill, the Tory MP, asks Mr Johnson to help make Armed Forces Day "a true event to remember", to which he says it will be a "remarkable" day.

12:30 PM

Government supporting most vulnerable and police, says Boris Johnson

Neale Hanvey, of the Alba Party, asks why it cannot find "compassion" to lift the benefits cap and reinstate cuts to the Universal Credit uplift in the wake of the suicide of a veteran in his constituency.

Mr Johnson says the Government has done as much as it can, and defends the Government against accusations that the PPE procurement process was steeped in "croynism".

Kate Griffiths, the Conservative MP for Burton, cites a recent stabbing in her constituency. She asks whether a "multi-stakeholder approach" is vital in tackling crime among young people, asking what the Government can do to support schools, colleges and local authorities in addressing the issue.

"Like so many victims of violent crime, the answer is not just policing though that is vitally important and that's why we're investing so massively in 20,000 new police officers," Mr Johnson says. "But as she rightly says all the institutions of the state will work together."

He urges Jessica Morden, the Labour MP for Newport East, to "wait for the inquiry" when she asks him to resign.

12:25 PM

Boris Johnson: Union at the heart of vaccine success

"When will the Tory MPs finally do the right thing and show the Prime Minister the door?" asks Ian Blackford.

Boris Johnson repeats his thanks but says that he disagrees with him.

"When you look at the levels of trust that people have shown in Government, the single biggest index of that trust has been their willingness to come forward voluntarily, unlike many other places in the world, to get vaccinated more than anywhere else in Europe.

"That is also a tribute to the United Kingdom."

12:23 PM

Boris Johnson accused of 'Operation Dog's Dinner'

Ian Blackford, the leader of the SNP at Westminster, jokes that 'Operation Save Big Dog' has quickly become 'Operation Dog's Dinner'.

"In the past few days we've had more damaging revelation about Downing Street rule-breaking, more evidence that Parliament has been led and an even longer list of ludicrous excuses from the Prime Minister."

Accusing him of "laughing at the British public", he brands Mr Johnson's latest reason "the most pathetic of them all - 'nobody told me'. Nobody told the Prime Minister he was breaking his own rules, absolutely pathetic. Resign, go, Prime Minister!"

Mr Johnson responds: "No, but I thank him for his question again. Let me just remind him that there's an inquiry that's due to conclude. I believe he is wrong in what he asserts but we will have to see what the inquiry says.

"The most important view is that we're able to come out of the restrictions we're in, and I'm delighted that is happening in Scotland as well, and that is largely thanks to the cooperation between our nations."

12:20 PM

Boris Johnson: 'I am intensely proud of what this Government has done'

Sir Keir Starmer says that while the Queen "follows the rules of the country of she leads", Downing Street staff partied late into the night on the eve of Prince Philip's funeral.

"The Prime Minister was forced to apologise to Her Majesty the Queen. Isn't he ashamed he didn't hand in his resignation at the same time?" Sir Keir asks, but Lindsay Hoyle requests that the Royal Family is not discussed.

"While the Prime Minister wastes energy defending the indefensible, energy bills are rocketing."

He lays out Labour's "serious plan for a serious problem", including a one-off windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas in addition to a VAT cut on energy bills, branding Mr Johnson an "out-of-control and soon to be out-of-office Prime Minister".

Boris Johnson defends his administration's record through cut taxes, winter fuel payments and the National Living Wage.

"We will continue to look after people throughout this pandemic and beyond. We have more employees on the payroll now than before the pandemic began, and youth unemployment at a record low. When the history of this pandemic comes to be written, and the history of the Labour Party comes to be written - and they are history and will continue to be - it will show that we delivered while they dithered, we vaccinated while they vascillated.

"And the reason we've been able to lift restrictions faster than any other country is thanks to the booster rollout and staff up and down Whitehall, across Government, throughout the NHS, and I am intensely proud of what this Government has done."

12:15 PM

Boris Johnson accuses Keir Starmer of being 'irrelevant'

"Operation Big Dog is in deeper trouble than I thought," quips Sir Keir Starmer if a "bottle of beer with a takeaway" is the best Boris Johnson has got.

Sir Keir Starmer asks if a Prime Minister should resign if they are found to have misled the Commons.

"He continues to be completely irrelevant, we have an inquiry. I'm not going to anticipate that inquiry any further," Mr Johnson says in a personal dig at the Leader of the Opposition.

"We now have the fastest-growing economy in the G7 and youth unemployment at a record low."

Sir Keir quips: "At least the staff at Number 10 know how to pack a suitcase."

12:13 PM

Johnson's account 'gets more extraordinary' by the day

Sir Keir Starmer claims Boris Johnson's account "gets more extraordinary" by the day.

"It requires the Prime Minister to expect us to believe that while every other person who was invited to the party on May 20 was told it was a social event, he alone thought it was a work event.

"It also requires us to believe that as he waded through the empty bottles and sandwiches, he didn't realise it was a party! Does the Prime Minister realise how ridiculous that sounds?"

Boris Johnson asks about the "legal justification" for the photo of Sir Keir Starmer drinking a bottle of beer in a constituency office in May 2021 during local election campaigning.

"If we listen to them, we'd have stayed in the European Medicines Agency and we'd never be able to deliver the vaccine rollout at the speed we did."

12:11 PM

Boris Johnson doubles down on defence of his record

Sir Lindsay Hoyle is forced to make his fourth intervention to calm MPs.

"Bury South is now a Labour seat," Sir Keir Starmer says. "Not only did he write the rules, but some of his staff say they did warn him... I've heard the Prime Minister's very carefully crafted response to that accusation. It almost sounds like a lawyer wrote it, so I'll be equally careful with my question.

"When did the Prime Minister first become aware that any of his staff had concerns about the May 20, 2020 party?"

Boris Johnson accuses Sir Keir of "repeating the question", and said the answer is "for the inquiry to come forward with an explanation of what happened".

"He asks about my staff and what my staff were doing and what they told me. I can tell him that they have taken decisions throughout this pandemic that he has opposed to open in July, to mount the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe and to double the speed of that rollout with the result that we have the most open economy in Europe and more people in employment now than there were before the pandemic began.

"That is what my staff have been working on in Downing Street."

12:09 PM

Tories will win Bury South again, says Boris Johnson

"We must wait for the outcome of the inquiry," Boris Johnson responds to Sir Keir.

He claims the country "would have been in lockdown if you listen to the Labour frontbench in the run up to Christmas".

"It's because of the judgements that we have taken in Downing Street that we now have the fastest-growing economy, with GDP now back up above pre-pandemic levels.

"As for Bury South, let me say to the Right Honourable gentleman, the Conservative Party won Bury South for the first time under this Prime Minister with an agenda of uniting and levelling up. We will win again in Bury South at the next election."

12:07 PM

Sir Keir Starmer welcomes Christian Wakeford to Labour

As Sir Keir Starmer gets to his feet, he starts by "warmly welcoming the honourable member for Bury South - Christian Wakeford - to the Parliamentary Labour Party".

"Like so many people up and down the country, he has concluded that the Prime Minister and the Conservative Party have shown themselves incapable of offering the leadership and government the country deserves, whereas the Labour Party stands ready to provide an alternative government that the country can be proud of.

"Anyone who wants to build a new Britain based on security, prosperity and decency is welcome in this party."

Sir Keir accuses Mr Johnson of "absurd and frankly unbelievable" excuses over the Downing Street parties, before quipping that the Chief Whip had told raucous Tory MPs to "bring their own booze" as they drown him out.

"First he said there were no parties, then the video landed blowing that defence out the water. Next he said he was sickened and furious when he found out about the parties, then it turned out he was at the Downing Street garden party. Then last week he said he didn't realise he was at a party, and surprise, surprise no one believed him. So this week he's got a new defence - nobody warned me that it was against the rules!"

He asks "why on earth" the new defence will work.

12:03 PM

PM is 'taking the British people for fools', claims Lib Dem MP

Wendy Chamberlain, the Liberal Democrat MP for East Fife, accuses Boris Johnson of having "broken the rules" having previously said last year that there were "no parties".

"There is no excuse for taking the British people for fools - will the Prime Minister agree with me it is time for him to resign?" she asks.

"No, Mr Speaker, but as I said to the House last week I apologise sincerely for any misjudgements that were made but she must contain her impatience and wait for the report before she draws any other conclusions," Ms Chamberlain says.

12:01 PM

PMQs starts with jeering and Afghanistan recognition

There is jeering and booing at the start of Prime Minister's Questions.

Boris Johnson says he will shortly update the House on the country's "fantastic progress" on Covid-19, enabling Plan B measures to be eased and the "ancient liberties" of this country restored.

He says the House will be "delighted" that medals will be awarded for Operation Pitting participants.

11:57 AM

Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street for PMQs

Boris Johnson has now left Downing Street in the car waiting on the doorstep, writes Mason Boycott-Owen.

The Prime Minister had no reaction when asked if he was going to resign.

Who knows what his reaction will be to one of his 2019 'Red Wall' intake - who swept the Tories to power amid Brexit negotiations via Labour's former heartlands - defecting to the Opposition.

11:50 AM

Christian Wakeford blasts 'incapable' Government as he defects to Labour

Bury South MP Christian Wakeford has defected from the Conservatives to Labour, it has been confirmed.

Mr Wakeford told Boris Johnson: "You and the Conservative Party as a whole have shown themselves incapable of offering the leadership and government this country deserves."

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said: "The policies of the Conservative government are doing nothing to help the people of Bury South and indeed are only making the struggles they face on a daily basis worse."

11:46 AM

Breaking: Christian Wakeford defects to Labour

Christian Wakeford, the Conservative MP for Bury South, has defected to Labour, according to the Financial Times.

The news comes just fifteen minutes before Prime Minister's Questions...

More to follow.

11:39 AM

Outrage over parties 'out of date', claims Tory MP

Pauline Latham, the Tory MP for Mid Derbyshire, described the outrage over parties at Downing Street as a "distraction from the real issues".

Taking part in a Sky News panel with Rosie Jones (see 11.36am), Ms Latham urged the public to focus on Russia and inflation.

She went on to predict Boris Johnson would win a vote of no confidence if a "party political" vote was to be held by Labour.

11:36 AM

Government 'mired in sleaze' and unconvincing, says shadow minister

Labour's shadow policing minister has dismissed Boris Johnson's reasoning around the events of May 20, 2020.

"Surely nobody would believe that he can claim that he didn't know what he was walking into and then didn't recognise it when he saw it," Sarah Jones told Sky News.

"This Government is tired, it is mired in this party sleaze and they are not operating with the best interest of the people at heart.

"They are not dealing with this awful rise in inflation and cost-of-living crisis."

11:34 AM

Truss and Wallace working from Australia as pressure grows on PM

The Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary are both 9,500 miles away from the Commons on a trip to Australia, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

Liz Truss and Ben Wallace are there to meet Peter Dutton, the Australian defence minister, as well as Marise Paine, Ms Truss's Australian foreign affairs counterpart.

Ms Truss will sign a new agreement on infrastructure cooperation with Australia. The visit comes shortly after the Aukus partnership agreed between the UK, the US and Australia.

It means both Cabinet ministers will be conspicuous by their absence at PMQs at midday.

11:28 AM

Boris Johnson was 'close to tears' as he pleaded with Tory MPs

It is estimated by one so-called 'pork pie plotter' that around ten of the group had already sent in their letters of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady, writes Tony Diver.

Another eight are said to have agreed to submit them later today after Prime Minister’s Questions.

One of the group has been privately blamed for news of the meeting leaking to No 10 yesterday afternoon, prompting a scramble from No 10 to head off the plot and numerous calls from Mark Spencer, the chief whip.

Many rebels think Mr Spencer’s failure to prevent a swell of anger towards the Prime Minister will cost him his job - with one predicting that he will be sacked by the end of the week if Mr Johnson himself is not deposed.

Inside the room: PM held urgent one-on-one meetings

11:26 AM

Patrick O'Flynn: Tory rebels should think twice

Ditching a proven election-winner should never be done lightly and often brings lasting misfortune to a political party, reflects Patrick O'Flynn.

Just ask Labour’s “curry house plotters”, who forced Tony Blair out earlier than he wanted to go, how their conspiracy has turned out – four successive general election defeats later.

The latest move by Tory MPs against Boris Johnson has been dubbed the “pork pie plot” in recognition of the alleged involvement of the member for Rutland and Melton. It could see 20 Tory MPs newly-elected in 2019 submit letters of no confidence in the Prime Minister as early as today.

Given the gravity of such a move, it is hard to see why the group would wish to embark on it with incomplete information. Because the impending Sue Gray report into Downing Street partying is a very important missing piece of the jigsaw when it comes to working out the optimal course for the Conservative Party.

Patrick O'Flynn: Pork pie plotters could do long-term damage

11:17 AM

Dowden does not offer PM full support

Oliver Dowden has left Number 10 after around 45 minutes inside, according to Mason Boycott-Owen.

The Conservative Party chairman once again did not offer the Prime Minister his full support when questioned by journalist, before getting into his car.

11:08 AM

Cabinet members and MPs file into No 10

Outside Downing Street, MPs and members of the Cabinet have been filing in before a meeting to decide on Plan B measures, reports Mason Boycott-Owen.

Oliver Dowden, party chair went straight into the building without taking questions from journalists just before half 10.

Five minutes later, Michael Gove, the housing secretary, got out of his car on the stopes of Number 10 and entered quickly - neither of which responded to questions of whether the Prime Minister had their full support.

Sarah Dines, a member of the 2019 intake and one of Boris Johnson’s Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPS) was the latest to enter the building just before 11.

11:01 AM

What if the plotters get their way?

Have the Pork Pie Plotters given any thought to what happens if Boris Johnson goes? asks Gordon Rayner.

Even those who fancy the Prime Minister's job would rather wait until the summer to depose him, a point which seems to have been lost on those submitting letters to Sir Graham Brady.

To put the situation in the most mercenary context, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and others simply aren't ready yet for a leadership contest. Insiders say they don't have campaign teams ready to go, meaning that letter-writers are not doing anyone any favours except perhaps themselves.

Even if Sunak, Truss and others were at a more advanced stage of planning leadership runs, they would much rather wait until the summer, when Parliament is in recess and politics can be put to one side, than fight a potentially damaging internal war in the middle of a busy Parliamentary term.

It would also make sense to allow Mr Johnson to absorb the body-blows from the cost of living crisis and a potentially terrible set of results in the May local elections before a new broom sweeps in.

If the threshold of 54 letters is not reached this week, it might be this, rather than loyalty to the Prime Minister, that keeps him in his job for now.

10:54 AM

Have your say: Will Tory MPs oust Boris Johnson this week?

Can the Prime Minister survive the current crisis, and if not how long will his political demise take? These are the questions at the heart of not only a bitterly divided Conservative Party, but Britain's political future.

Amid conflicting reports about just how many letters have already been sent, let us know whether you think enough Conservative MPs will turn on the Prime Minister in the coming days, or if Mr Johnson will make it through.

10:46 AM

Post-PMQs analysis: Tune in for our experts' takes

After discussing whether Boris Johnson can survive 'partygate' last week, The Telegraph's political soothsayers are back to guide you through all of the drama expected in the House of Commons today.

David Knowles, Tony Diver, Olivia Utley and Mutaz Ahmed will be live on Twitter Spaces immediately after Prime Minister's Questions.

Tune in at 12.55pm and follow all the best analysis on this blog

10:41 AM

'Lots of panic in Number 10'

What is going on in Downing Street this morning? asks Ben Riley-Smith, our Political Editor.

One source well-connected to the operation of Mr Johnson's inner circle tells The Telegraph: "Lots of panic in Number 10 by sounds of things."

There is a feeling this morning across Tories that the leadership has been blindsided by the scale of concern among some of the 2019 intake.

Just four months ago Mr Johnson broke his election manifesto to raise National Insurance with barely a vote of opposition from Tory MPs and reshuffled his Cabinet with minimal fuss.

It is a reminder of how quickly the political fates can change.

10:29 AM

France's nuclear meltdown has big implications for Britain

France’s nuclear industry is in slow-motion meltdown, writes Ambrose Evans-Pritchard. A fifth of the country’s 56 reactors are currently shut, mostly because of corrosion and welding problems in the safety injection system.

The scale of outages this winter has reached the point where it is tightening Europe’s interlinked energy market, adding to the extreme pressure on electricity, gas and coal prices.

Nuclear power will have to play a role in Britain’s decarbonisation drive, if only to ensure basic energy security in a disintegrating geopolitical world order.

We are already locked into Hinkley Point. But what is now happening in France is a cautionary reminder that nuclear comes with its own trail of problems.

​Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: UK must still press ahead with similar reactors

10:22 AM

PM 'delighted' Operation Pitting medals approved

Boris Johnson is "delighted" that the Queen has approved special medals for all those deployed to Kabul in August 2021 as part of Operation Pitting to rescue 15,000 people while Afghanistan fell to the Taliban.

Soldiers who led the Afghanistan rescue mission are being awarded the medals after a campaign by The Telegraph.

"During two extraordinary weeks last year, our Armed Forces and their civilian colleagues carried out the biggest emergency evacuation for decades, rescuing 15,000 people from the turmoil of Kabul," Mr Johnson said in a video message.

Mr Johnson praised the recipients for "heroism in adversity" and "upholding the finest traditions of our country".

Watch the PM's full video message below:

10:09 AM

Watch: Our boss is the public and not the PM, says minister

Our boss is not the Prime Minister but the public, James Heappey said this morning.

Mr Heappey, a defence minister, conceded that Britons were "furious" over allegations about rule-breaking parties at Downing Street at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

But on whether Boris Johnson should step down if Sue Gray were to find that he had misled Parliament, he said: "I don't think we should get into hypotheticals."

10:01 AM

Dominic Cummings accused of 'extraordinary vendetta'

Jacob Rees-Mogg has accused Dominic Cummings of an "extraordinary vendetta" as the Prime Minister's former chief adviser attempts to bring down his former boss.

Mr Cummings has accused Mr Johnson of having "lied to Parliament" about not being aware of a Downing Street party on May 20, 2020 before it took place.

But as our own Gordon Rayner writes, his zealous offer to testify on oath that Johnson ignored warnings about a drinks party in No 10 was meant to be a coup de grâce – instead, it appears to have helped shore up the PM’s precarious position.

09:46 AM

High time that people caught with cannabis be spared jail, declare public

People caught with cannabis should be spared prosecution, says the public by a two-to-one majority, as they backed rehabilitation rather than punishment for drug possession.

Of the 2,000 adults polled, 45 per cent backed out-of-court disposals for cannabis possession, such as community resolutions, which do not bring a criminal record. Only 25 per cent were against.

There was a similar level of support for sparing shoplifters prosecution, with 43 per cent of those polled backing out-of-court settlements.

Meanwhile, 29 per cent were against, according to the survey by crime consultancy Crest Advisory, which advises police forces, councils and police commissioners.

Charles Hymas has the story

09:36 AM

Keir Starmer: Tories are 'too distracted by infighting'

The Tories are "too distracted by infighting" in their ranks and scandal over the "partygate" revelation, the Labour leader has said.

Sir Keir Starmer was reacting to news the annual rate of inflation climbed to 5.4 per cent in December 2021, its highest rate in 30 years (see 9.31am).

"The Conservatives are too distracted by scandal and infighting to sort out the cost of living crisis," Sir Keir wrote.

"Labour's plan would give security by keeping bills low - saving most households £200, with extra support for those who need it most."

He will be hoping to land further blows on Mr Johnson when the party leaders face off at Prime Minister's Questions at midday after last week's temperamental exchange.

09:31 AM

Cost of food sends inflation soaring to its highest level since 1992

Surging food bills helped drive inflation to its highest rate since the early 1990s, in a major blow for Boris Johnson as he battles to save his premiership.

The annual rate of inflation climbed to 5.4pc from 5.1pc in November, according to the Office for National Statistics, with more pain ahead for households when the new energy price cap and the Chancellor’s national insurance increase in April push up bills further.

Combined, the impact will be so great that a worker on £50,000 would need a 10 per cent annual pay rise just to avoid a real-terms salary cut.

The speed of cost of living increases picked up even faster than forecasters had expected, as Rishi Sunak hinted at intervention to ease the pressure on families. Economists said the latest rise also gives the Bank of England little choice but to vote for a second interest rate rise in three months to rein in price pressures.

​Tom Rees has the full story

09:27 AM

Rishi Sunak to meet Tory rebels

Rishi Sunak will meet rebel Tory MPs later today in an attempt to convince them they should still support Boris Johnson, Tony Diver reports.

Meetings between Mr Johnson and rebels last night are said not to have helped the mood among 2019 intake MPs, who believe they are being patronised by Downing Street and want the Prime Minister gone.

Mr Sunak will be sent to ask what the rebels want from the Government to guarantee their support, but many feel the so-called "red meat" is too little, too late.

Another attempt to convince the MPs last night, from the Chief Whip, also failed, I am told.

With letters going in this morning, and more said to be waiting for Prime Minister's Questions at lunchtime, it feels like only a matter of time before the magic number of 54 letters is reached.

09:23 AM

Labour has 32-point lead in London, poll shows

The Conservatives are now 32 points behind Labour in London in the wake of "partygate" revelations, new polling this morning has shown.

Labour is on 55 per cent in the capital, according to a YouGov survey, while the Tories are on 23 per cent, the Liberal Democrats nine per cent, the Greens seven per cent and Reform UK three per cent.

Such figures at a general election would mean the Conservatives losing eight seats in London, reducing the number of Tory MPs there to 13.

"Clearly, this poll is not good news for the Prime Minister and the Conservatives in London," said Patrick English, political research manager at YouGov. "It is the largest Labour lead we have seen in the capital since at least 2010."

Two in three Londoners (67 per cent) believe Boris Johnson, the former mayor of the city, should quit as Prime Minister in the wake of damaging revelations about Downing Street parties.

09:12 AM

'Pork pie plot': Rebel MPs conspire to oust Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson is to announce the lifting of "Plan B" Covid restrictions on today as a plot to oust him by Tory MPs first elected in 2019 emerged.

The Cabinet is expected to sign off scrapping work from home guidance and Covid passports at a meeting on Wednesday morning, although some face mask rules could remain.

The changes – which would take effect in England after Jan 26 – come as Mr Johnson is set to play up his record on tackling Covid to counter a rebellion sparked by revelations about Downing Street parties.

The Prime Minister gave his first public comments in six days on Tuesday, issuing a "categorical" denial that he was warned that a Downing Street garden drinks event on May 20, 2020, was "against the rules".

Yet as he laid out his defence, a group of 20 recently elected Tory MPs, many representing former Labour heartland "Red Wall" seats, met to discuss his fate in a gathering described as the "pork pie plot".

Ben Riley-Smith, Lucy Fisher and Harry Yorke have the story

08:57 AM

Boris Johnson 'close to tears' as he tries to save his premiership

Boris Johnson was “broken” and “close to tears” last night as he tried to convince rebel MPs not to call for his resignation, Tony Diver reports.

The Prime Minister called ringleaders of the so-called “pork pie plot” of 2019 intake Tory MPs into Downing Street on Tuesday night in a last-ditch attempt to stop 54 letters being sent to Sir Graham Brady, Chairman of the 1922 Committtee, and triggering a vote of no confidence.

After a failed attempt by the Chief Whip, Mark Spencer, to convince the MPs they should abandon their plot, Mr Johnson personally called several into Number 10.

There, he was described as “broken” and “close to tears” by one who attended, as he fought to save his premiership.

Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, is also meeting rebel MPs on Wednesday to discuss their demands, in the hope more letters can be prevented.

The pork pie rebels are named after Melton Mowbray, which falls in the constituency of one MP who is said to have attended the meeting. Ten have already submitted their letters, which they believe brings the total close to the figure required for a vote of no confidence.

08:51 AM

11 Red Wall MPs 'submit letters of no confidence'

As many as 11 members of the 2019 Conservative MPs have submitted letters of no confidence in Boris Johnson this morning, writes Christopher Hope.

08:40 AM

Breaking: Almost a dozen 'Red Wall' MPs submit no confidence letters

Eleven members of the 2019 Conservative party intake have submitted letters of no confidence in Boris Johnson this morning, reports Christopher Hope, our Chief Political Correspondent.

More to follow

08:39 AM

Nick Robinson: It would be 'absurd' for BBC to ignore 'Partygate' crisis

Nick Robinson has hit back at accusations of BBC bias in its coverage of Downing Street parties as he said it would be "absurd" to play down the story.

The presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme was responding to an accusation by Lord Moore that the BBC had acted like "a Fox News of the Left" by interviewing Tory MPs hostile to Boris Johnson.

Lord Moore, in his Telegraph column, said that BBC audiences "crave news that is calm, balanced and correctly prioritised", going on to suggest the corporation should "not try to ape Fleet Street" by focusing on the scandal of Downing Street parties.

But in a letter to the Telegraph, Mr Robinson said: "Clearly, we should report the parties story… hearing from those who defend the PM and challenging them as well as those who attack him and pointing out that this may not lead to his departure from office. We have done that."

Today presenter hits back at accusations of bias

08:29 AM

'Grave possibility' Russia will invade Ukraine

There is a "grave possibility" Russia may launch military action in Ukraine, the Armed Forces minister told LBC this morning.

It would be an "extraordinarily stupid thing to do", James Heappey warned Russia, as he said Ukraine was "ready to fight for every inch of their country".

The Foreign Office has now been told to prepare for "crisis mode" as weapons were flown from Britain to Ukraine to defend it from a Russian invasion.

It comes as the White House reviews evidence from US intelligence suggesting Russia is planning to attempt to take Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and overthrow the government.

08:16 AM

'Wildly incorrect' modelling bounced Boris into second lockdown, MPs told

Boris Johnson was bounced into the second coronavirus lockdown after a "terrifying" and "wildly incorrect" model warning of 4,000 deaths a day was leaked to the press, MPs have heard.

Speaking at a Westminster Hall debate on the use of models in the pandemic, Steve Baker, deputy chairman of the Covid Recovery Group, described how the Prime Minister contacted him shortly before announcing new restrictions on October 31, 2020.

Modelling from Cambridge University and Public Health England (PHE) had suggested that without immediate restrictions there could be 4,000 deaths per day by the end of December.

Mr Baker said that he had told Mr Johnson to challenge the model, and Prof Tim Spector, of King’s College London, and Prof Carl Heneghan, of Oxford University, were called into Downing Street to go over the data. But once the models were shown to be inaccurate, it was too late to stop calls for restrictions.

Sarah Knapton, our Science Editor, has the story

08:12 AM

The full list of Tories calling for Boris Johnson to resign

Boris Johnson faced a barrage of criticism from his own MPs last week over his attendance at a Downing Street garden party at the height of lockdown last year.

Speaking in the Commons, Mr Johnson acknowledged the public's "rage" over the party on May 20 2020, but insisted that he thought the event could technically have been within the rules.

However, his apology appears to have done little to quell mounting anger among Tory politicians over the incident, and a number of MPs and MSPs have called on him to resign.

Christian Wakeford last night became the first 'Red Wall' MP to call for Mr Johnson to go, telling Yahoo News he had called on the PM to resign and confirming reports of a 'pork pie plot' among the 2019 intake of MPs to oust their party leader.

Read the full list - and ministers' defences of the PM - here

08:07 AM

Boris Johnson is not the 'caricature' you might think, says James Heappey

The Armed Forces minister has launched a defence of the Prime Minister's character as he suggested that he could not manage his own commitments even if he wanted to.

"The caricature of Boris is not the man you see in a national security meeting or Cobra, he has all the responsibilities of his office worn soberly on his shoulders and makes good decisions," he told Times Radio.

"I don’t think any Prime Minister even if they wanted to is able to manage their own diary, because there’s just too much."

In separate comments made in an interview with Sky News, Mr Heappey recalled the six months he spent as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.

"It is the most extraordinary job," he reflected. "You can bounce from a national security council meeting straight to a meeting with other ministers straight into a meeting with another leader, and then someone grabs you and takes you down to the garden and in the 30 seconds you get a pre-brief of what’s going on."

But he would not go as far as concluding Mr Johnson broke the rules after he said: "I think in the Prime Minister’s statement he acknowledged that when he was there he realised and he said in hindsight he should have stopped it there and then."

07:57 AM

Now is the wrong time to get rid of Boris Johnson, defence minister urges Tory rebels

James Heappey, the Armed Forces minister, has urged fellow Tory MPs wanting to overthrow the Prime Minister to back down in the face of a volatile domestic and international situation.

"The PM has apologised [and] I can tell colleagues the meetings in which I’ve seen the Prime Minister, the meetings in which we discuss the most sensitive matters the state has to deal with, the Prime Minister is taking really big decisions and making the right calls.

"This doesn’t feel like the time to change Prime Minister if you ask me. The Prime Minister has given his account of things, he did so at the despatch box which all ministers take very seriously, they have a responsibility to be absolutely accurate in what they say."

Unsurprisingly, Mr Heappey urged the public and his colleagues to wait for Sue Gray's report before reaching judgements about alleged parties at Downing Street.

07:50 AM

Good morning

Conservative backbenchers in open revolt, a febrile atmosphere in Westminster and another crunch Prime Minister's Questions at midday.

It is possibly the most critical day of Boris Johnson's two-and-a-half-year premiership to date, as the PM looks to restore his shattered reputation and fend off a 'pork pie plot' stemming from 'Red Wall' MPs who are planning to oust him.

Here is the front page of your Daily Telegraph: