Dominic Raab has dismissed the idea that Boris Johnson could face a confidence vote as early as next week – dismissing the speculation as “Westminster froth”.
The deputy prime minister said the mood at the top of government was “fine” despite a growing number of Conservative MPs calling on the PM to resign.
There is a growing belief it is only a matter of time before the threshold of 54 no-confidence letters needed to trigger a vote is reached, with more than 40 MPs openly questioning his leadership.
Asked if a leadership vote could come next week, Mr Raab told Sky News: “No … I think those in the Westminster bubble and village whips this stuff up. I’m not saying [Partygate] is not serious and significant – but we’ve dealt with all of those issues.”
The senior cabinet minister also told BBC Breakfast: “I don’t think this ends in a leadership challenge.”
Mr Raab said he “doubts” that as many as 40 MPs have submitted letters, said rebels were “pretty far off” triggering a vote, and played down criticism made by ex-minister and Johnson ally Dame Andrea Leadsom on Tuesday.
“I think it’s clear that she’s expressing her frustration, she hasn’t put a letter in as far as I understand, she hasn’t said that,” the deputy PM told Times Radio.
He added: “Votes of no-confidence, leadership contests, is yet more Westminster talking to itself, ... and I think the vast majority of MPs recognise and agree with that.”
The justice secretary also dismissed speculation that Mr Johnson could call an early general election this year as a chance to revive his premiership – saying it was “very unlikely”.
Backbench critics of Mr Johnson told The Independent they were worried that the PM would narrowly win a confidence vote by securing the support of more than half of his MPs – then trigger an early general election in a bid to reassert control.
“I think he might try to manufacture an election because it would be the only way he could reassert his authority,” said one Tory MP.
Mr Raab did not deny reports that No 10 is preparing regular, Covid-style press conferences on the economy as part of plan to revive the PM’s fortunes. “That will be for No 10 and the comms team to decide,” he said.
The deputy PM also said he was “not privy to the conversation” following reports that Lord Geidt is ready to resign as Mr Johnson’s ethics adviser. “I hope he continues to do [the job],” said Mr Raab.
In an exchange of letters on Tuesday, Lord Geidt said Mr Johnson must explain why his fixed penalty notice (FPN) over his birthday party did not breach the ministerial code.
He said a "legitimate question" had arisen as to whether the fine might have constituted a breach of the "overarching duty within the ministerial code of complying with the law".
Lord Geidt, the independent adviser on the code, also questioned the PM’s willingness to “take responsibility for his own conduct” in relation to the rules and delivered a withering assessment of exchanges with No 10 officials.
Mr Johnson, in a letter released on Tuesday evening, responded by claiming the FPN “did not breach” the ministerial code as there was “no intent to break the law”.
Meanwhile, the treasurer of the 1922 Committee has warned Tory MPs that ousting Mr Johnson would mean a leadership vacuum during a “really serious situation”.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown claimed a leadership contest would take at least eight weeks because of the lack of an obvious successor. “I think at the moment for me, we should leave matters as they are,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
