Conservative MPs would be 'absolutely mad' to remove Boris Johnson, says Michael Portillo

Speaking on GB News, Mr Portillo said Mr Johnson was an "epic election winner" and said there was no obvious candidate to replace him as Prime Minister.

It comes as Mr Johnson prepares to discuss his first Partygate fine with MPs tomorrow amid expectations he will receive further fines in the coming days for breaking Covid laws.

Mr Portillo said rumours of a challenge to his leadership should not come to fruition.

“Prime Ministers stack up enemies. There are those that have been overlooked and there are those that they've already dispensed with," he said.

“Of course he has luck and it's very important to be lucky, but what he has is this extraordinary charisma.

“He’s an epic election winner, he is one of the finest politicians that I've seen in the years that I've been around.”

Mr Portillo added: “I wouldn't compare him with Margaret Thatcher in terms of having a vision.

“I wouldn't compare with Tony Blair in terms of transforming a party, but just the business of winning elections, you've won London twice. London is a labour city, as we're about to find out in May.

“He won London twice and won this epic [Commons] majority of 80 seats. That's what the Tories have to remember.”

Mr Portillo said that the chances of Chancellor Rishi Sunak succeeding Mr Johnson, whose popularity has plummeted over the perception that he failed to tackle the cost of living crisis in his Spring Statement, has diminished.

“This man is a great election winner, so of course he’s been a bit lucky now that Rishi Sunak has faded away - Rishi Sunak is not going to be Conservative leader.

“Liz Truss certainly isn't ready to be Conservative leader. I think the Conservatives will be absolutely mad to get rid of him.”

But he added that the Prime Minister has been fortunate in that the first fine he has received over Partygate was for a more minor matter than some of the allegations that have been made.

“As far as I can see for the first fine, they were all in the office together, they're all hugga-mugga anyway, and they were there when someone turned up with a cake and for ten minutes they ate a piece of cake.”

Energy Minister Greg Hands said the Prime Minister will "outline his version of events" and take questions from MPs when Parliament returns this week.

He told Sky News: “The Prime Minister will be speaking to Parliament … this week.

“Parliament returns tomorrow and the Prime Minister will have his say in Parliament, and will outline his version of events and face questions from MPs.”

Put to him that this was “not exactly a full-throated backing” of Mr Johnson, and asked if it would be right for the PM to resign if pictures of him “pouring drinks” at a party were to emerge in the coming days, Mr Hands said: “I do strongly back the Prime Minister.

“I think the Prime Minister is getting on with the job, he’s delivered, and the Government has delivered, in anything from the vaccination programme through (to) the strong support for Ukraine.

“There is a police investigation going on and we’ll have to see what develops, but as I say the Prime Minister will be in Parliament this week, explaining and facing questions from MPs about what has happened.”

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