Boris Johnson Says He Will Still be Prime Minister in Six Months

Boris Johnson and Narendra Modi.[/caption]Boris Johnson has said that he is sure that he will still be prime minister in six months, despite backlash over his 'party gate' fine.During a trip to India, Johnson met with the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, to progress trade talks between the two countries. At a press conference in New Delhi, he was asked whether he was "absolutely sure" that he would still be the PM by then, to which he answered: "Yes."

This comes amidst opposition and criticism from his own fellow Conservative MPs and backbenchers over the Downing Street lockdown parties. Tory MP, Robert Largan, has expressed disappointment in Johnson's leadership of the government. In a newsletter to his constituents, he told them that he "will not defend the indefensible".Backbencher, Tobias Ellwood, has previously expressed disappointment in Johnson. He said that there had been a "silence of support" and urged fellow Conservative MPs to "take matters into their own hands".

Steve Baker, a prominent Brexiteer in the backbenches, declared that "the gig's up" for the PM. Yesterday, MPs voted for a parliamentary committee to investigate the claim that he misled parliament over the lockdown-breaking events in Downing Street.Labour's shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, Peter Kyle, said that Johnson's authority was "draining away" after the government did a U-turn on an attempt to block the Commons vote.

Speaking to Sky's Political Editor Beth Rigby in India, Johnson said: "I have nothing to hide [over Downing Street gatherings]." He also said that he has been working on a post-Brexit trade deal with India and claimed that he had told officials to "get it done by Diwali in October".Conor Burns, the Northern Ireland minister and staunch ally of the prime minister, rounded on the PM's backbench critics, telling the BBC that they included people "who have never really supported the prime minister".