Desperate Boris Johnson has claimed he remains an electoral "asset" for the Tories despite growing calls from his own MPs to quit over lockdown parties.
Conservative MPs are braced for the Prime Minister to get a second fine after police began sending out fixed penalty notices for a BYOB garden gathering.
Mr Johnson has been battling to shore up support among jittery Tory MPs plotting to oust him after the local elections and the publication of the full Sue Gray report.
Senior officials are said to believe the findings of the top civil servant's Partygate investigation will be so damning it will be all but impossible for him to cling on.
However, sources have told the Mirror that Mr Johnson has not yet received a questionnaire over the 'Bring Your Own Booze' lockdown garden party in the Downing Street garden.
No 10 confirmed today that the PM has not received a fixed penalty notice for the May 2020 event even though police have started sending them out.
One source told the Mirror: "Some junior staff have already been fined so the Met clearly believes the garden party was in breach of the rules.
"But the reason Boris hasn't got another fine is because he hasn't even received a questionnaire - and we don't know whether he will."
Some allies had suggested that police may not interview Mr Johnson over the event, organised by his top aide, because it took place in his own garden.
However, the Government's own rules at the time banned any mixing between households inside or in the garden, with work the only exception.
Around 30 or 40 Downing Street staff attended the event, along with the PM and his wife Carrie, where tables were laden with bottles of wine and picnic food.
However, the PM has told allies that he does not expect to get any more fines over the Partygate scandal despite the fact six events he attended are being investigated.
Sue Gray was forced to put off publishing her findings until Scotland Yard finishes its own investigation into rule-flouting gatherings at the heart of Government.
Campaigning in Bury, Mr Johnson refused to be drawn on claims her final report would be damning.
But asked if he was still an asset to the Tories in the elections, he said: "I'm not denying that."
Ms Gray's initial report into 16 lockdown parties, which was published in January, tore into "failures of leadership and judgement" in No10.
The full report is understood to be highly critical of the PM, both for attending some of the events and the culture in No 10 under his leadership.
However, most at Westminster believe the PM will try to cling onto power unless he is ousted by his own MPs.
Labour leader Keir Starmer questioned why the Met Police decided to stop providing updates on FPNs going into the local elections.
He claimed the public had a "right to know" when fines were issued.
Mr Starmer added: "We're in a situation where across the whole UK, if we look at the workplace which has had the most fines for breaching rules, it's Downing Street."
Tory MPs are bracing for a battering at the polls in the local elections in May.
One loyalist minister acknowledged the elections are likely to be difficult, given their timing.
Technology minister Chris Philp told Sky News: "Local elections in mid-term tend to be challenging for any government."
Some MPs have admitted they are waiting until the result before deciding whether to submit a no-confidence letter.
But others are said to be privately making plans for Mr Johnson’s departure regardless of the election result.
There were reports that some rebels are coordinating a push between 2019 intake Tories and moderate One Nation caucus to bring him down.
Under party rules, 54 Tory MPs are needed to trigger a confidence vote in the PM.
Labour accused Mr Johnson of "running scared" from MPs after it emerged he will not be making a Commons statement after his overseas visit last week.
Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said: "The fact that Boris Johnson is running scared from updating Parliament on his fruitless trip to India shows it was nothing more than a pathetic attempt to distract from his lies and law-breaking at home."
