BORIS Johnson has been ordered to deliver a “Liverpool apology” over the damaging sleaze row, senior Tories say.
The PM has so far refused to say sorry for his wretched handling of the Owen Paterson lobbying row, triggering outrage among his backbenchers.
Mr Johnson has been urged this week to “face the music” over the backlash.
As an MP and editor of The Spectator, he was sent to Liverpool in 2004 to apologise after saying Liverpudlians were wallowing in “mawkish sentimentality” over the death in Iraq of kidnapped Brit Ken Bigley.
One Tory source said: “Clearly, he has shown contrition before and gone with his tail between his legs to make amends.
“He surely can do that again in front of friends and colleagues bruised by his own misjudgement.”
The intake of 2019-elected MPs are also furious at being dragged into the second jobs scandal by association amid the Geoffrey Cox revelations.
Mr Johnson has invited all 108 to Downing Street for a reception on Tuesday in what a Government source calls a “reassurance exercise”.
The PM has admitted the mess was “an unforced error”, Trending In The Newsday Times reports.
A Savanta ComRes poll gave Labour a six-point lead after a slew of damaging headlines.
