Boris Johnson is planning to stage parliamentary interventions on Ukraine, Brexit and levelling up, with allies of the outgoing prime minister hinting that those are the areas of his legacy he believes to be most under threat from his potential successor.
It comes as a briefing war between current and former No 10 aides exploded into new acrimony, with accusations traded about a working culture alleged to have been overtly macho and, at times, misogynistic.
Johnson is said to have told his aides that he has no intention of quitting parliament immediately, though he has stopped short of committing to staying until the next election.
In a move that will fuel speculation Johnson has already mentally checked out of the job, the prime minister will hold a “thank you” party for loyal supporters and their families at Chequers this weekend.
Johnson is said to have doubts about whether his successor is as committed to providing funds to sustain the Ukrainians fighting against the Russian invasion – as well as to changing the Northern Ireland protocol and the levelling up promise that the party will invest heavily in northern seats.
Johnson is said to be weighing up the benefits of having a platform in parliament against dedicating himself fully to writing and speech-making.
One source close to Johnson said he wants to ensure those three issues remain a priority for his successor. “It’s both his right and his duty to speak out on Ukraine and he feels very conscious of that as a responsibility,” they said.
“That will also happen if we get a successor who doesn’t care any more about levelling up and is prepared to go back to the same old story that the north of England doesn’t matter because it votes Labour, and Labour also take it for granted.”
As Johnson prepares to leave, tensions between incumbent and former staff saw one ex-aide claim his No 10 had “a very masculine culture”, with a Downing Street spokesperson instead blaming officials no longer in place.
An ITV documentary about Johnson’s time in No 10, being broadcast on Thursday evening, includes one anonymous ex-staffer describe a “lads down the pub” culture, adding: “If you were a female in that sort of zone, it’s actually quite uncomfortable to work in.”
But in an extraordinarily strongly worded response, a No 10 spokesperson told ITV that Johnson had not been to blame: “Previous aides who have devoted their lives to bringing down the PM did indeed preside over a nasty, misogynist culture. Downing Street has been a much better place without them.”
Separately, some MPs have suggested they expect Johnson to quit his Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat before the investigation by the privileges committee into whether he misled the House of Commons over Partygate gets fully under way. That was denied by a No 10 source who said he was still fully intending to cooperate.
Johnson may face an investigation by the privileges committee even if he resigns as an MP – which could include finding Johnson in contempt of parliament.
The committee, which has met to begin preparations for witnesses, will call on those within No 10 who are said to have given the prime minister “assurances” that there were no parties. Those who do not cooperate can also be found in contempt of parliament.
Draft proposals published by committee members in the past fortnight suggest MPs should look again at making it a criminal offence not to comply with witness requests from a select committee.
But the committee’s powers are limited in terms of sanctioning Johnson if he has left parliament or refuses to cooperate – though there is no suggestion he plans not to.
