Defiant Boris Johnson won’t resign even if police fine him, allies insist

BORIS Johnson will not resign even if he is fined for breaking lockdown law, according to his pals.

The PM could be handed a fixed penalty notice if the Met’s Partygate probe concludes he flouted the rules. 

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If found to have broken the rules he inflicted on the rest of the country, there would be enormous pressure for him to fall on his sword.

But Mr Johnson has resolved to fight regardless of whether he’s lumped with a fine or not, allies told The Times.

He has not yet been interviewed by Scotland Yard, but both he and Carrie are set to be grilled in the coming days. 

Mr Johnson has begged Tory MPs to hold off submitting letters of no confidence until reading the full Met report – which could take weeks.

Nine backbenchers have so far confirmed to have written to Sir Graham Brady, while fifteen have called on him to resign.

The PM yesterday carried out a mini reshuffle to shore up his top team and head off a leadership challenge.

He cleared out the ailing whips office and installed two of his staunch loyalists, Chris Heaton-Harris and Chris Pincher.

He is also eyeing a wider reshuffle in the summer – dangling the prospect of jobs to would-be rebels.

Eurosceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg was moved from that role to a created post as Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency minister, with a seat in the Cabinet.

Mr Spencer had been heavily criticised for his handling of rebellious Tory MPs and his doomed attempt last year to save disgraced backbencher Owen Paterson.

PM superfan Michael Ellis, the Paymaster General, is also now minister for the Cabinet Office after a series of bruising Commons outings defending Mr Johnson during the Partygate scandal.

But MPs were quick to spot it was jobs for the boys all round in a “meni-reshuffle”.

Only one woman, Heather Wheeler, earned a promotion to the Cabinet Office as a junior minister. The appointments come as Mr Johnson bids to overhaul dysfunctional No10.

The PM’s shuffle was aimed at easing the load on Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay, who is now also Downing Street Chief of Staff.