Boris Johnson will 'refuse to resign' - even if he gets fined over Partygate, allies have claimed.
Mr Johnson reportedly plans to claim he has been personally exonerated if he avoids a fixed penalty following the police investigation into parties in No10.
Allies of the PM told the Times Mr Johnson will not "do a David Cameron " and resign - and is "absolutely determined to stay.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson will consider even his wife Carrie being handed a fine a 'get out of jail free' notice, backbenchers have told the i Newspaper.
It comes amid reports that the Prime Minister will argue that he did not break Covid-19 laws on the night of the alleged 'Abba party' because he was working in the Downing Street flat at the time.
The Prime Minister received a questionnaire from the Met Police last night as part of their inquiry into Downing Street lockdown breaking parties.
He is one of 50 partygoers who have been contacted by police in regards to parties held during lockdown in Downing Street and Whitehall and who face being fined for breaking Covid laws.
Mr Johnson is believed to have been at six parties out of the 12 being investigated by the cops.
One of those reportedly took place on November 13, 2020, shortly after Dominic Cummings stood down as his adviser.
Abba songs including The Winner Takes It All were allegedly among the tunes played at the alleged party on November 13, 2020, reportedly held to celebrate the departure of the former chief adviser and attended by the PM's now-wife, Carrie Johnson.
And according to the Daily Telegraph, the PM will tell police he did not break the rules because he was "working" in the flat at the time.
Detectives working on Operation Hillman - the inquiry into Partygate - will be forced to decide whether to accept Mr Johnson's "robust defence" as a "reasonable excuse".
If they do not, Mr Johnson could be questioned in person before any final decision is made on whether to issue him with a fine.
Comments attributed to an ally of the Prime Minister yesterday sparked fury, and appeared to constitute a warning that the police should treat Mr Johnson differently from other people found to have broken Covid rules.
They told the Times: "Do you want the Metropolitan Police deciding who the prime minister is? They have to be very certain [before issuing a fine]."
A minister insisted Mr Johnson was focusing on the Ukraine crisis, and would not be distracted by the police inquiry.
"I've every confidence that the prime minister will fill out this questionnaire and return it to the Metropolitan Police service as he must," junior defence minister James Heappey told the BBC.
"But I don't think for a second it will distract him from leading the international response at a time of acute geopolitical crisis."
He added: "He will be reading some really very eye-opening intelligence briefs all day, every day. He and the government are in now a very regular routine of National Security Council meetings and COBRA meetings."
