Boris Johnson is reportedly wavering on controversial plans to raise national insurance as questions loom over the future of his premiership in light of an official inquiry into partygate allegations.
The PM is under pressure from some Tory MPs to scrap the tax hike to win back support as he awaits the findings of the highly-anticipated report from senior official Sue Gray.
The Times cited a Government source as saying Mr Johnson was considering delaying the rise for a year as “red meat” for his critics on the right of the party.
They reportedly said: “He’s wobbling, I think he would do anything to survive.”
Pen Farthing’s pets
It comes as the PM sought to dismiss allegations that he personally intervened in the airlift of animals out of Afghanistan as thousands of people wanting to flee the Taliban were left behind.
Accused of lying, the Prime Minister tried to fend off claims that he assisted the approval of the evacuation of cats and dogs with the Nowzad charity from Kabul.
But as he was talking on Thursday, further leaked correspondence was published, suggesting that then-foreign secretary Dominic Raab and No 10 were involved in the decision.
On the subject of the national insurance rise, another source is said to have told The Times: “It looks like [Johnson] is back-sliding because of the pressure he’s under on partygate.
“It has never been popular among the right of the party and it’s that group Boris is most worried about. The Treasury view is that Johnson should hold his nerve.”
The Guardian reported that the Treasury was becoming increasingly alarmed that the PM may be preparing to scrap the tax hike in a bid to save his job.
‘Listening mode’
Defence minister James Heappey told BBC’s Question Time programme: “You’ll have noticed the top of the Government is in listening mode at the moment.
“There are plenty of people that are on good salaries that are starting to worry about how they’re going to make ends meet and the Government is seeking to address that. We’re going to need to do a lot over the next few years to help people with this.”
A host of senior Conservatives, along with businesses, have called for the proposed increase of 1.25 percentage point to be scrapped in the face of cost of living pressures, with inflation at a 30-year high and the energy price cap due to lift in the spring.
The Daily Mail reported that wavering rebels have been urging Mr Johnson to abandon the planned hike to win back their support over his handling of the Downing Street partygate allegations.
But Mr Johnson said on Thursday that the tax rise was “absolutely vital” as “every penny will go towards fixing the Covid backlogs and also social care”.
Asked to guarantee the increase would still come into effect in April, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said there were “no plans to delay the levy”.
Related: Rory Stewart: Boris Johnson is ‘the best liar we’ve ever had as PM’