Boris Johnson was today warned by his own MPs that the war in Ukraine does not mean his position is safe.
The prime minister’s supporters regularly cite his leadership in the crisis as a major reason why he should not be booted out over partygate.
However, some backbenchers today said the war in eastern Europe does not guarantee Johnson’s position is safe, with one commenting: “Leaders can be changed at anytime.”
Their comments were made just hours before Johnson faces MPs for the first time since he was fined over partygate.
Tory MP Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, said: “I need to distinguish between what’s going on in Ukraine and the fact that, yes, there is a difficult issue facing number 10.
“But we shouldn’t use the fig leaf of our involvement with Ukraine to somehow say this is not a time to address those difficult challenges.”
He told BBC Breakfast that there was a “Rolls Royce Whitehall machine” that can provide advice to whoever is the prime minister of the day.
“So, whatever prime minister, whoever that will be, will get the same advice,” he said.
“If there were a leadership contest, you’d actually see, I think, a bidding war of candidates wanting to do more to lean forward to support Ukraine. “
Another Tory MP Simon Hoare added: “Everyone mentions the Chamberlain to Churchill change.
“Of a more contemporary feel is of course the change from Thatcher to Major when we had boots on the ground in Kuwait.
“Leaders can be changed at anytime otherwise they could never die or an election be held during a war.”
For weeks Johnson’s position looked precarious as Tory MPs publicly called for him to go and handed in letters of no confidence amid allegations of breaches of covid rules at the heart of government.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to some MPs withdrawing their criticism of the PM and put a dampener on calls for him to go.
However, last week it was revealed that Johnson had been fined £50 for attending a birthday gathering in the cabinet room on June 19, 2020.
This afternoon Johnson will make a commons statement on the war, energy security and partygate.
A Downing Street source told The Telegraph that he would give a “full throated apology” for his fine.
He is also expected to meet with the Conservative parliamentary party in Westminster this evening in a bid to rally them ahead of next month’s local elections.