Is Boris Johnson doomed after heavy losses in the local elections?

Tory MPs in the south of England are spooked by the continuing public disquiet over Partygate. Adam Forrest takes a closer look at the hurdles ahead for the PM

Boris Johnson is finding himself under renewed pressure (PA)

Senior Conservative MP David Davis has warned that Boris Johnson’s premiership faces “death by a thousand cuts”. Heavy losses in the local elections have inflicted yet another blow on the wounded prime minister. Are we watching his slow and painful demise?

Johnson appears to have survived the bruising results – close to 500 Tory seats lost – without a loud clamour for his resignation from Tory backbenchers. We have not seen a significant number of new MPs turn against him in public.

But there are signs of another precarious period ahead for the PM. Tory MPs in the “blue wall” heartlands in the south of England are spooked by results that were worse than expected. They now have clear evidence of how much voters loathe the idea of law-breaking parties in Downing Street.