Boris Johnson defied calls to resign despite a fresh wave of ministerial resignations, a scathing attack by former Cabinet minister Sajid Javid and signs that support on the Tory backbenches is ebbing away.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Johnson said the “colossal mandate” he had been handed by voters in 2019 means he should keep going despite the “difficult circumstances” he faces.
It comes as business experts have called on Nadhim Zahawi to help the poorest workers in order to aid the UK’s economic recovery as he starts his tenure as Chancellor.
Pincher
It comes after Rishi Sunak stepped down from the role on Tuesday, in the aftermath of the row surrounding the Prime Minister’s former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher.
In Mr Sunak’s resignation letter, he said he could not agree an economic strategy with Boris Johnson because their stances are “fundamentally too different”.
But struggling workers were not given much time when Zahawi went on the TV rounds this morning.
Filmmaker Peter Stefanovic tweeted out his thoughts on the proceedings and wrote: “The new Chancellor hopped from TV studio to TV studio this morning shamelessly debasing & humiliating himself by saying Boris Johnson was “honest” No wonder the Prime Minister made a special point of praising his “brilliant performance” at #PMQs today.”