Liz Truss has said that she is "100 per cent" behind the Prime Minister following pressure over partygate, despite reports that she is secretly canvassing MPs in a bid to replace him.

       The Foreign Secretary is in Australia while Boris Johnson faces a weekend of keeping the support of his backbenches before the publication of the Sue Gray report next week.

       Ms Truss said that he has her "100 per cent support" and "he is doing an excellent job", adding that she wants to see him continue “as long as possible in his job” and that there is “no leadership election”.

       This is despite reports that Ms Truss has been meeting with Tory MPs for drinks, dubbed "Fizz with Liz", to sound out her levels of support if Mr Johnson were to resign over 'partygate'.

       Other potential contenders for the top job have not been as vocal in theirs support for the Prime Minister, with Rishi Sunak on Tuesday declining to confirm his unequivocal backing for Mr Johnson.

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       The Prime Minister can survive the "partygate" scandal but must cut taxes and replace "fluffy" environmental policies to relaunch his leadership, Lord Marland of Odstock has said.

       The Conservative peer, who has been a friend and informal adviser to Mr Johnson for over a decade, said he must refocus his agenda and "come out fighting".

       Speaking to The Telegraph's Chopper's Politics podcast Lord Marland said the Prime Minister had the ability to survive the crisis and lead the Tories into the next election.

       Earlier today the Business Secretary denied any knowledge of tactics used by Government whips, including alleged blackmail and intimidation.

       Mr Kwarteng even suggested that such reports weren't true.

       Yet Camilla Tominey, our Associate Editor, has the full story inside the "dark arts" of the Tory whipping operation:

       You can read her full analysis here.

       Mark Drakeford said that Boris Johnson will "never escape the damage to his reputation" over lockdown-breaking parties at Number 10.

       Speaking to Sky News, he said: "Conservative MPs have been fighting each other like ferrets in a sack this week, and it's very hard to see how the Prime Minister survives.

       "Even if he were to survive, he will just limp on because he's never going to escape the damage that this week has done to his reputation."

       Mr Drakeford continued: "From my point of view, the thing that worries me the most is the fact that the UK Government is frozen by the impact of what has happened to them."

       The Welsh First Minister accused the UK Government of hastening the end of restrictions in England to escape negative headlines around parties at No 10 during lockdown.

       He said the contrast between his country's approach to lifting the measures and that of England "has been pretty stark this week", as Wales lifted restrictions on oudoor sporting events and hospitality.

       "I'd have to say, anybody watching what has gone on in Westminster will know that those announcements are not driven by the science," Mr Drakeford told Sky News.

       "They're not part of a carefully thought-out plan, they're just an effort by UK ministers to find a different headline from the one that has dominated the news."

       He continued: "Here in Wales, we are in a better position than that - our Government is able to go on making sensible, cautious planning decisions rooted in the science and in keeping people in Wales safe."

       This morning the Telegraph revealed that headteachers are defying the Government over face masks in the classroom as dozens insist they will remain in place.

       You can read the full story here from Camilla Turner, our Education Editor.

       Today, when asked what parents of children at schools that insist on wearing masks should do, Kwasi Kwarteng, the Bussiness Secretary said: “I think they should follow official guidance.

       "How the schools are run is a matter for teachers and parents to negotiate but the guidance from the Prime Minister is very clear, that we won’t need to be wearing masks."

       Asked whether whether Boris Johnson has to resign if it he was sent an email which proved that he was aware that any parties he attended were against the rules, Mr Kwarteng said:

       “No, I don't think that’s the case at all. We’re prejudging. I don’t want to come to conclusions before we can do so, we’ve got to see what Sue Gray says, and once the report is out we can draw our own conclusions as the Prime Minister has consistently said.

       “We’ve got to wait for the report, let’s see what Sue Gray says and then after that I’m sure the Prime Minister will make a statement."

       Kwasi Kwarteng told Sky News that he “didn’t know what the conclusion is” to reports of blackmail and intimidation by Tory whips.

       “I’ve been an MP for 12 years now, and I’ve never heard of the kind of allegations which are being made: blackmail, the idea that somehow money is being withheld from communities that need it on account of the behaviour of the MPs - I’ve never heard of anything like that.

       “I haven’t seen any evidence to back them up, but we have to look and see what’s actually gone on.

       “For the specific allegation being made about whips withholding funds, I think that’s completely unacceptable, any form of blackmail or intimidation of that kind simply has no place in British politics.

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