A senior Tory has claimed Boris Johnson will lead the Tories into the next election - despite two thirds of voters wanting him to quit before the next nationwide vote.
Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden said he saw a "strong case" for Mr Johnson remaining in office and claimed that changing leader would be "dearly damaging for the country".
He admitted the upcoming local elections could be "challenging" for the Tories amid reports jittery MPs are watching closely to see if Mr Johnson is a liability for the party at the ballot box.
