A billionaire Tory donor dealt Boris Johnson a fresh blow on Wednesday, saying he was “passed the point of no return”.
Financier John Armitage, who has given more than £3 million to the Tories, said he believed the prime minister’s time is up.
He said current global challenges to the West required ″very serious, engaged politicians with a sense of purpose”.
“I find the lack of honour inherent in modern politics incredibly distressing.”
- John Armitage
“Politicians should go into politics to do good for their country,” Armitage told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.
“That is the overwhelming reason to be in politics. I don’t think it’s about your own personal sense of getting to the top of a snakes-and-ladders game.”
Armitage added: “I feel that if you lose moral authority and if you do things which the average person - your mother, someone who you admire - if you do something or say something which on the front page of The Sunday Times looks terrible and you do that consistently and you betray a sense of not really caring, I think you should leave.
“I find the lack of honour inherent in modern politics incredibly distressing.”
The hedge fund boss remains a Conservative party member - but donated £12,500 to Labour in 2021.
A No10 source later told Kuenssberg that Armitage was “behind the times” and the PM was making the changes needed to deliver what he promised the people at last election.
The interview was released just a few hours before Johnson goes toe to toe with Sir Keir Starmer during this week’s prime minister’s questions.
Johnson held a mini reshuffle of his top team on Tuesday in a bid to stave off a confidence vote and lay the foundations for the next election battle.
It comes after the partygate scandal rocked Johnson’s premiership and controversy over his Jimmy Savile remarks.
Expected to join the PM on the frontbench for PMQs on Wednesday is new chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris.
The long-time ally of Johnson replaces Mark Spencer, who was moved to leader of the Commons after a series of missteps in managing the Conservative parliamentary party.
Spencer’s predecessor Jacob Rees-Mogg was shuffled into the newly minted role of Minister for Brexit Opportunities - a move seen as an attempt to appease the Tory right-wing.
Asked by BBC Newsnight if Johnson’s changes had “saved his premiership”, Heaton-Harris replied: “I would like to think we have a very strong prime minister who is going to continue and get stronger and stronger and lead us into the next election, which we will win comfortably”.
The Daventry MP is said to have played a role in the “shadow whipping operation” aimed at seeing off efforts to oust the prime minister in the wake of the drip-feed of Downing Street rule-breaking allegations.
Another of those rumoured to have played a part in shoring up Johnson’s position was Christopher Pincher, who has been handed the job of deputy chief whip – a position he previously held under Theresa May.
It comes as The Times reported allies of the prime minister had said he would not resign even if the police investigation into alleged lockdown-breaking parties in No10 results in him being fined.