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       Boris Johnson says ‘nobody told me’ Downing Street party broke lockdown rules

       As Boris Johnson prepares to face Keir Starmer at PMQs later today, he is threatened by a growing rebellion from Tory backbenchers over the partygate scandal.

       It is thought that roughly 20 more Conservative MPs could submit letters of no-confidence in the prime minister to Sir Graham Brady, the head of the influential 1922 Committee, on Wednesday.

       A vote on Mr Johnson’s future as leader will be triggered if Sir Graham receives a total of 54 letters, equivalent to 15 per cent of all Tory politicians.

       The likelihood of this scenario grew on Tuesday, following reports that a large number of the 2019 Tory intake had met to discuss ousting him, in what has been dubbed the “pork pie plot”.

       In an attempt to ward off this threat, Mr Johnson tried to appear more contrite on Tuesday. “I deeply and bitterly regret that that happened,” he said, referring to a Downing Street party the night before Prince Philip’s funeral.

       This is unlikely to appease public anger though, with a poll commissioned by The Independent showing that 73 per cent of Britons are furious about the repeated parties in No 10 over lockdown.

       Recommended Boris Johnson could face no-confidence vote in days as Tory mood ‘turns dramatically’ Nobody told me drinks event was against rules, says Boris Johnson as MPs plot downfall Matt Hancock’s swim in Serpentine ‘broke rules’, says angry club member

       Key Points PM could face no-confidence vote in days as Tory mood sours Almost 75% of Britons angry about partygate, poll finds Labour take 32 point lead in London, survey suggests

       Show latest update 1642582535 Minister ‘sincerely hopes’ Boris Johnson did not mislead parliament over partygate

       Defence minister James Heappey has said he “sincerely hopes” Boris Johnson did not mislead parliament about the drinks party in the No 10 garden during the first Covid lockdown in May 2020.

       In a message to MPs considering sending a letter to the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, Mr Heappey told Sky News: “This doesn’t feel like the time to be changing prime minister, if you ask me.”

       My colleague Adam Forrest has more on this story:

       Minister ‘sincerely hopes’ Boris Johnson did not mislead parliament James Heappey calls on Tory MPs to keep ‘cool heads’, as group of backbenchers plot downfall

       Chiara Giordano 19 January 2022 08:55

       1642581935 Now is not the time to be changing PM, says minister

       James Heappey warned his colleagues to keep "cool heads" as he said now was not the time to change prime minister.

       The Armed Forces minister told BBC Breakfast: "What's going on in the world right now, whether it be from a security perspective where there's incredible instability in a number of regions of the world where the UK has great interest, or economically where as we've discussed inflation is rising as the global economy recovers from the pandemic.

       "Or from the pandemic itself, which whilst I think the UK has weathered the Omicron surge well, by the way, that's in no small measure of thanks for the decisions the prime minister has taken, we're not out of the woods yet, and there's still work to be done.

       "This doesn't feel like the time to be changing prime minister to me."

       Chiara Giordano 19 January 2022 08:45

       1642581172 Armed Forces minister denies drinking culture in Westminster

       The Armed Forces minister has denied there is a drinking culture in Westminster.

       James Heappey told BBC Breakfast: "I think it's quite hard to answer that in a straight way because what I reflect on having worked both in Downing Street and in the MoD (Ministry of Defence), both departments where an awful lot of people have to work extraordinarily long hours, because they are dealing with real-time operational issues, and I don't know that colleagues who get to the end of a very, very long day, and maybe have a glass of wine at their desk before they go home, is that a drinking culture different to those who finished work earlier in the evening and go for a drink with friends outside work?

       "The fact is that I haven't reflected that there is a drinking culture.

       "I see people who work very hard and work very long hours, and very occasionally have a glass of wine together at the end of work.

       "I think that there does need to be some reflection about the amount of alcohol that appears to be consumed and how regularly, not just the No 10 but in a number of departments of state, and I know that all secretaries of state and the Prime Minister and the senior civil service are quite seized at whether or not this reflects on a culture that needs to change."

       Chiara Giordano 19 January 2022 08:32

       1642579338 Labour take 32 point lead over Tories in London, survey suggests

       Labour has stormed to a 32-point lead over the Tories in London amid the fallout from the partygate scandal, a new YouGov survey has indicated.

       The poll, which was first reported by The Evening Standard, means that the Conservatives could lose eight seats in the capital, leaving them with only 13 MPs in the city.

       Patrick English, political research manager at YouGov, said: “Clearly, this poll is not good news for the prime minister and the Conservatives in London.”

       Rory Sullivan 19 January 2022 08:02

       1642579124 Almost 75% of Britons angry about partygate, poll finds

       Some 73 per cent of the British public - including 60 per cent of Tory voters - are angered by the No 10 parties, a poll commissioned by The Independent has found.

       The Savanta ComRes survey also discovered that 80 per cent of people agreed that there is “one rule for the government and another for everybody else” under Boris Johnson’s leadership.

       The findings come as more Conservative backbenchers reportedly scheme to oust him from leadership. Yesterday, a group of the most recent Tory intake allegedly met to discuss his future, in what has been called the “pork pie plot”.

       Its name derives from the fact that it allegedly involved Alicia Kearns, the MP for Rutland and Melton – home of the Melton Mowbray delicacy.

       Nobody told me drinks event was against rules, says Boris Johnson Exclusive: Poll finds more than half of Tory voters do not believe PM is telling truth as 20 more MPs reportedly set to lodge letters of no-confidence

       Rory Sullivan 19 January 2022 07:58

       1642578392 PM could face no-confidence vote in days as Tory mood sours

       A growing number of Tory MPs reportedly want Boris Johnson gone after the backlash caused by a series of lockdown-breaching parties at No 10.

       Seven Conservative backbenchers have so far said publicly that they have submitted no-confidence letters in the prime minister. But the actual number is likely to be much higher.

       If a threshold of 54 letters is reached, a vote on the PM’s future as leader will take place.

       Boris Johnson could face no-confidence vote in days as Tory mood ‘turns dramatically’ Prime minister to answer questions in Commons on Wednesday

       Rory Sullivan 19 January 2022 07:46

       1642578170 Welcome

       Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s live politics coverage, which will today focus on the threat to Boris Johnson’s premiership.

       Rory Sullivan 19 January 2022 07:42