Boris Johnson is 'poisoning the brand of the Conservative Party', Portillo says
13 January 2022, 07:36
Former Conservative MP Michael Portillo has branded Boris Johnson 'poisonous' in the wake of his partygate apology.
Boris Johnson is facing a potential battle to survive as Prime Minister after apologising for attending a Downing Street garden party during lockdown.
Some senior Tory MPs have called for him to resign, while a poll is also showing a massive slump in Conservative support, and a ten-point lead for Labour.
Read more: Defiant Boris clings on with Cabinet support as senior Tories call for him to quit
But Mr Portillo said it was clear "Boris is a poisonous brand and he's poisoning the brand of the Conservative Party."
Mr Portillo told LBC's Nick Ferrari claims of parties during the Covid lockdown has led to the PM moving from being "the greatest electoral asset that the Tories have had in many years to being a liability."
"With Boris do you just get one of these scandals and crises after another? And certainly, the recent evidence from October and November onwards is that it's one thing after another, you're just constantly waiting for the next scandal to hit."
But, Cabinet ministers have rallied behind the embattled PM to publicly shore up Boris Johnson's support.
Read more: Not an 'easy day' for Boris Johnson: Jacob Rees-Mogg defends PM in partygate scandal
Senior Conservatives flooded broadcast studios and social media with praise for the PM following his admission he attended a "bring your own booze" party in No 10 in May 2020 and fears over Tory revolt rose.
