Boris Johnson dismisses Downing Street Christmas parties controversy as ‘trivia’

Keir Starmer brands prime minister ‘weak’ after Tory Plan B revolt – and warns he needs Labour MPs to keep the country safe

Boris Johnson has dismissed the furore over Christmas parties in No 10 as “trivia”, despite launching an investigation into whether Covid rules were broken.

Under fire from Keir Starmer, the prime minister also denied he needed Labour votes to pass his Plan B restrictions – even though a revolt by 100 Tory MPs wiped out his Commons majority.

The comments came as the Labour leader called Mr Johnson “weak” and told him to “get his house in order”, warning rebel Tories are undermining the fight against omicron.

Mr Johnson also faced a call to “resign”, but told a Scottish National Party MP: “No, I am going to carry on protecting the public of this country.”

The controversy over lockdown-busting parties, a year ago, has triggered a collapse in public support for the prime minister – threatening him with a by-election defeat in the rock-solid Tory seat of North Shropshire.

Polls have given Labour leads of up to 11 per cent – while Mr Johnson’s favourability rating has plunged to -42 per cent – leading the leading pollster John Curtice to warn even Tory supporters “no longer believe” him.

In the Commons, Sir Keir said his own MPs loss of trust in their leader had led them to “vote against basic public health measures”, on Wednesday evening.

He quoted leading rebel Mark Harper, a former chief whip, who asked last week: “Why should I shouldn’t tell my constituents to treat these rules the same way that Downing Street treated these rules last year?”

But Mr Johnson switched the subject to the extension of booster jabs, claiming: “That is what the people of this country are focused on. This is bigger than the partisan trivia that he continually raises.”

Sir Keir told him: “His own MPs have had enough. They won’t defend him, they won’t turn up to support him and, if he proposes them, they won’t vote for basic public health measures.

“The prime minister is so weak that, without Labour votes last night, vital public health measures wouldn’t have got through.

“We can’t go on with a prime minister who is too weak to lead. So will the prime minister take time this Christmas to look in the mirror and ask himself whether he has the trust and authority to lead this country?”

Mr Johnson claimed it was “not true” that Labour votes were needed to pass Plan B – apparently based on the fact that there was a much smaller backbench rebellion against the extension of mask-wearing.

However, the revolt against the use of Covid passes to enter crowded venues would have been defeated if Labour had opposed the measure.

The disillusionment with the prime minister has cut the odds on a vote of no confidence, in an attempt to topple him, but not until the New Year at the earliest.