Boris Johnson confident Tory MPs back him to survive as party leader and prime minister – as it happened

Boris Johnson with Paul Holmes, the PPS for Priti Patel who quit his post today. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/PA

4.40pm BST

Afternoon summary

• Boris Johnson has suffered the first resignation of a PPS since the publication of Sue Gray’s damning report into Partygate with the departure of Paul Holmes as a ministerial aide to the home secretary. But Johnson has said he is confident that Conservative MPs will continue to back him as party leader and PM. (See 1.55pm.)

• Johnson is changing the rules to let ministers avoid resigning if they break the ministerial code, allowing them to apologise or temporarily lose their pay instead.

• Johnson has said the UK is “not necessarily” heading for a recession after his chancellor announced a £15bn package to help people deal with rising energy bills and inflation.

• Shell has said Rishi Sunak’s windfall tax is a threat to investment in North Sea oil and gas as Britain attempts to ramp up domestic energy supplies.

• Johnson has said Ukraine should be supplied with long-range multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to help Kyiv’s embattled forces prevent Russian invaders from gaining ground in the Donbas.

• Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s former chief aide, was never contacted by police seeking information about alleged lockdown-breaching parties inside Downing Street during his time working there, he has said.

That’s it from us for today. You can read our latest story on Boris Johnson here:

Updated at 4.55pm BST

4.25pm BST

According to today’s figures from the Office for National Statistics’ coronavirus infection survey, Covid rates continue to fall in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

For the week ending last Saturday the rates were:

England - around one person in 60 infected

Wales - aroundone person in 55 infected

Northern Ireland - around one person in 80 infected

And in Scotland the trend was uncertain, the ONS says. It says one person in 40 was infected in Scotland last week.