'Boris Won't Face Confidence Vote'

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he does not believe Boris Johnson will face a confidence vote this week, but were there to be one the Prime Minister would win.

Mr Shapps also dismissed the mixed reception received by Mr Johnson as he attended a service at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday, where boos could be heard from the crowd.

The Transport Secretary noted there were also cheers for the Prime Minister and said "politicians don't expect to be popular all the time", arguing "it's best to get on with running the country "rather than being overly distracted" by the incident.

Mr Shapps' backing comes amid speculation Mr Johnson could face a crunch vote on his premiership as soon as this Wednesday amid reports the threshold for a no-confidence vote might have already been reached.

Meanwhile, new polling suggests the Conservatives risk losing a key electoral test later this month by a significant margin.