Boris Johnson has informed one of his close friends that he doesn't want to resign and would stay if the Tory membership backs him.

Boris Johnson has told Lord Cruddas of Shoreditch, a former treasurer now campaigning to keep him in office, that he "does not want to resign" as Prime Minister.He would go on to add that he

"wants to fight the next general election as leader of the Conservative Party" and that he would "wipe away everything that stops [him] being PM in a second" if he got the chance to do so.Over lunch at Chequers on Friday, both Boris Johnson and Lord Cruddas discussed the "bring back Boris" campaign that the former chancellor has architected to inspire the party's grassroots to confirm that they don't wish the PM to leave his position.

There are currently more than 10,000 party members who have given their signatures to Lord Cruddas's campaign, which is growing by more than 2,000 signatures per day.Anyone who signs the petition has been asked to provide their membership number when they sign up. Lord Cruddas has assured that any fake membership numbers are quickly discovered and their names are not countered towards the total.Lord Cruddas gave comment to the Telegraph, stating: "There was no ambiguity in Boris's views. He definitely does not want to resign.

He wants to carry on and he believes that, with the membership behind him, he can."He would add: "He [Boris Johnson] could understand the memberships anger at what had happened. He said that he wished that he could carry on as Prime Minister. He said he does not want to resign."However, a No 10 spokesman would inform the Telegraph that: "The Prime Minister has resigned as party leader and set out his intention to stand down as PM when the new leader is in place."