Inside Politics: PM’s plan to save premiership and new partygate report

Reports say Johnson attended defence aide’s leaving do as he plans raft of announcements to quell discontent on back benches, writes Matt Mathers

(REUTERS)

As Tory MPs travel back to Westminster following a weekend at home speaking to their constituents, Boris Johnson will get a sense of just how much anger there is among voters over recent partygate reports. The prime minister, meanwhile, is said to have drawn up plans to save his premiership with a series of policy announcements, dubbed ‘operation red meat’, expected in the days and weeks ahead designed to quell discontent among back bench MPs calling for him to be ousted. Reports say the PM is also planning to throw a number of top officials under the bus to save his own skin. A new report today says Johnson attended another party before Christmas in 2020.

Inside the bubble

First up is Home Office questions at 2.30pm, followed by any urgent questions or statements. Later, the main business will see MPs work their way through the remaining stages of the Elections Bill. Conservative MP Siobhan Baillie has an adjournment debate on the experiences of midwives in the NHS.