Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams, who are both staunch supporters of Mr Johnson, have also quit as MPs in what has been seen as an attempt to destabilise Mr Sunak's administration.

He delivered a ferocious attack on a 'kangaroo court' of MPs investigating his denials of Covid rule-breaking and also savaged the direction of Mr Sunak's Government. Mr Johnson quit Parliament over Partygate and a row over his peerages list. But ex-Tory deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine has demanded Mr Johnson be blocked from ever standing for election as a Conservative MP again. Allies of Mr Johnson have been predicting a swift return for the former premier - including before the next general election - despite his explosive departure from the Commons. Yet Mr Shapps refused to rule out a political comeback for Mr Johnson, admitting he would 'never predict' the ex-PM's actions. He also took a swipe at Mr Johnson for having 'removed himself' from politics by quitting the House of Commons and also claimed the ex-PM was 'occasionally' not fully across the detail of matters. Mr Shapps praised the ex-Tory leader's 'many qualities' but stressed there were now 'different challenges to face' and there was 'new management in No10' under Rishi Sunak. The Energy Secretary attempted to contain the damage to the Government from the departure of three Conservative MPs - including Mr Johnson - from Parliament in recent days. Cabinet minister Grant Shapps today insisted the 'world has moved on' from Boris Johnson following the former prime minister's dramatic resignation as an MP.

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