Former PM’s allies say he will easily make threshold of 100 MPs, while critics warn of potential defections
Boris Johnson is gaining ground in his audacious bid to return to Downing Street despite critics warning he risks plunging the Tories into fresh chaos over the impending parliamentary inquiry into the Partygate scandal.
As the former prime minister raced back from his Caribbean holiday to drum up support among MPs, Rishi Sunak remained ahead and the favourite to win with nearly 80 publicly declared backers, including Dominic Raab and Sajid Javid.
