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Rishi Sunak was last night warned he risks damaging his leadership challenge hopes by withholding support from Boris Johnson.
Senior Conservatives said the Chancellor was in danger of jumping the gun on a contest that had not yet started and may not even take place.
One Cabinet minister accused Mr Sunak of ‘going missing’ whenever trouble came.
A Downing Street source said his absence in the Prime Minister’s hour of need ‘speaks for itself’.
Rishi Sunak was last night warned he risks damaging his leadership challenge hopes by withholding support from Boris Johnson
But the Treasury flatly denied reports that Mr Sunak had considered resigning in protest at the handling of the issue of lockdown parties at No 10 – and insisted Mr Johnson had his full support.
Allies of the Chancellor dismissed claims that his support for the Prime Minister had been only lukewarm – with one saying he had used the wording suggested by No 10.
The Chancellor raised eyebrows on Wednesday when he chose to press ahead with an engagement in Devon rather than support Boris Johnson at a bruising session of Prime Minister’s Questions.
Surprise turned to anger when it took Mr Sunak hours to offer even the most tepid public support for the PM, who had been forced to apologise for attending a lockdown party.
Mr Sunak’s message, sent out eight hours after PMQs, explained that he had been out all day, adding simply: ‘The PM was right to apologise and I support his request for patience while Sue Gray [senior civil servant] carries out her enquiry.’ One former minister said Mr Sunak had displayed ‘naivety’ by publicly distancing himself from a PM in trouble.
The Treasury flatly denied reports that Mr Sunak had considered resigning in protest at the handling of the issue of lockdown parties at No 10 – and insisted Mr Johnson had his full support
