BORIS Johnson today brushed aside claims of a rift with Rishi Sunak and said he has “absolutely” no concerns about his deputy’s loyalty.
The PM insisted both he and the Chancellor are “working in harmony” after reports of a major bust up over health funding.
The pair put on a show of unity as they visited a cancer hospital in Medway, Kent, to promote plans to get on top of spiralling NHS waiting lists.
The joint appearance was meant to put to bed talk of a schism between the inhabitants of No 10 and No 11 which has grown in recent days.
Asked if he had any concerns that Rishi is eyeing up a move next door, the PM replied: “Absolutely not.”
He also played down reports the Chancellor has blocked a multi-million pound plan to bring down NHS waiting lists.
Rishi is said to have kiboshed it in a dispute over targets and value for money.
But the PM said today: “Everybody at No 10 and the Treasury are working together in harmony to deal with the big problems that the country faces.”
During an awkward broadcast clip Boris repeatedly refused to comment on his position or the latest problems in Downing St.
He stonewalled a question about briefings against his wife Carrie, and declined to say if he say ‘I Will Survive” with his new comms chief.
It comes with Boris braced for a vote on his leadership as early as this week – with over 100 MPs primed to cast their ballots to give him the boot.
The PM will be watching nervously to see if more no confidence letters are submitted after backbenchers spent the weekend in their constituencies.
Allies fear there may be a fresh round of defections when the rank and file return to Westminster with the anger of constituents ringing in their ears.
So far 15 Tory MPs have publicly called for him to go, but the PM’s team believes the true number to have submitted letters is between 35 and 45.
A ballot on his leadership will be called once 54 letters have been sent in to 1922 committee chairman Sir Graham Brady.
It has been reported that more than 100 Conservatives are prepared to cast their ballots against Boris if such a vote comes to pass.
Whilst that would not be enough to oust him – which would require 180 defectors – such a huge rebellion would leave the PM fatally undermined.
In December 2018 former premier Theresa May won a confidence vote in her leadership but 117 Tory MPs mutinied against her.
The ballot was widely seen as a pivotal turning point for her premiership, and she resigned just five months later.
BORIS REBOOT
Boris is today trying once more to move on from the Partygate scandal and reboot his premiership with a flagship announcement on health.
The PM is also pressing ahead with a restructuring of the organisation at No 10, which was heavily criticised in Sue Gray’s report.
In the latest move Dame Emily Lawson, who has been heading up the NHS vaccination drive, is to become his new permanent secretary.
He’s also planning a mini-reshuffle that will see a new chief whip installed after insisting it’ll take a “division of tanks” to remove him from No 10.
This morning the PM’s new policy chief Andrew Griffith, a Tory MP who is popular with backbenchers, promised a return to low tax Conservatism.
In a piece for Conservative Home that will boost the party faithful he said the Boris will turn his focus to fixing the cost of living crisis.
But the PM is still haunted by the fallout from lockdown-busting bashes in No 10 and his claims about Sir Keir Starmer failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile.
Appearing on the morning broadcast round Mr Javid repeatedly refused to say whether he would’ve made the same remarks about the Labour leader.
The squirming health secretary would only insist that it was time to “draw a line under this issue and try to move on” from the furore.
He also refused to rule himself out of the running to replace Boris, although he insisted “there’s no leadership election”.
Today the PM was also hit with a fresh blow as his new head of communications gave a bizarre interview about their first meeting.
Guto Harri told the Welsh language website Golwg360 that he entered Boris’ office and saluted, telling him he was “reporting for duty”.
He said the PM then went to return the gesture before quipping ‘What am I doing, I should take the knee for you’?”
Mr Harri was sacked as a presenter on GB News for taking the knee live on air.
Recounting the toe-curling exchange, he added: “And we both laughed. Then I asked ‘Are you going to survive Boris?’
“And he said in his deep, slow and purposeful voice and started to sing a little while finishing the sentence and saying ‘I Will Survive ‘.
“He invariably invited me to say ‘You’ve got all your life to live’ and he replied, ‘I’ve got all my love to give’, so we got a little blast from Gloria Gaynor!
“There was a lot of laughter and we sat down to have a serious conversation about how to get the Government back on track and how we are moving forward.”
