Boris Johnson is facing fresh calls to quit as another Downing Street adviser quit and a second senior minister distanced himself from his Jimmy Savile smear against Sir Keir Starmer.
The prime minister, battling to save his premiership over the partygate scandal, sought to rally Downing Street staff with a line from The Lion King, telling them: “Change is good”.
But he was hit with a fifth resignation in less than 24 hours when Elena Narozanski, a special adviser in the No 10 policy unit, walked out.
Health secretary Sajid Javid made clear he disagreed with Mr Johnson’s attack on Sir Keir when he accused the Labour leader of failing to prosecute Savile when he was director of public prosecutions.
And backbencher Aaron Bell became the 13th Tory MP to call on Mr Johnson to go or declare publicly that they have submitted a letter calling for a vote of no confidence.
In a statement, he said: “The breach of trust that events in No 10 Downing Street represent, and the manner in which they have been handled, makes his position untenable.”
In an emotional intervention in the Commons on Monday following the publication of the Sue Gray report into lockdown parties, Mr Bell asked Mr Johnson if he thought he was a “fool” for following Covid restrictions at his grandmother’s funeral.
Other Tory MPs are expected to consider over the weekend whether to write to the chairman of the 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady in an attempt to force a leadership contest.
In an apparent move to head off further dissent, Mr Johnson has written to Tory MPs promising them a greater role in policy-making with a “direct line” into No 10.
The latest turmoil was triggered by the shock resignation on Thursday of Mr Johnson’s long-standing policy chief Munira Mirza over his refusal to withdraw his “scurrilous” accusation about Sir Keir.
Speaking on Friday, Mr Javid indicated that he agreed with chancellor Rishi Sunak who said he would not have made those remarks.
“Keir Starmer, when he was running the DPP, did a good job and he should be respected for it. It is a tough job and he deserved absolute respect for that,” he told reporters.
Mr Javid acknowledged Mr Johnson had subsequently “clarified” his comments and insisted the prime minister still had his full support.
However, his intervention will only fuel speculation over how much support the Prime Minister really enjoys from members of his top team.
Ms Mirza’s resignation was followed by the announcement that three more of the most senior figures in No 10 – chief of staff Dan Rosenfield, principal private secretary Martin Reynolds and director of communications Jack Doyle – were also leaving.
The PM’s official spokesperson said the departures had all been agreed before Ms Mirza tendered her resignation and that they were leaving by mutual consent.
All three were to some extent implicated in the controversy over parties during lockdown.
Mr Reynolds organised the notorious “bring your own booze” event in the Downing Street garden while Mr Doyle was reportedly at at least one of the gatherings now under investigation by the police.
While Mr Rosenfield did not join until after most of the events had taken place, he has been criticised over the government’s initial response to the report that there had been no breach of the rules.
Energy minister Greg Hands said the prime minister was “taking charge” after promising sweeping changes in No 10 in response to Ms Gray’s findings.
“The prime minister was absolutely clear on Monday that there would be changes at the top of No 10 and that is what he has delivered,” he told Sky News.
“The Sue Gray report update said that there were failings at the top of the operation. This is the prime minister taking charge.”
