A bullish Boris Johnson tonight insisted he will not quit whatever the result in crunch by-elections in Yorkshire and Devon, as the polls closed in votes widely expected to see the Tories lose to Labour and the Liberal Democrats
Voters in Wakefield and in Tiverton and Honiton are expected to relieve Mr Johnson’s Tories of two of their seats, with party insiders privately warning they were set to lose both.
No government has failed to defend two by-election seats on the same day since 1991, when John Major was in No10.
Mr Johnson will not be around to take flack from any political fallout – is on tour abroad for the next week in Africa and Europe with his wife Carrie.
But there are fears the expected grim results at home could spark a renewed Conservative revolt against his leadership, weeks after he was forced to face a vote of confidence from his own MPs.
Senior Conservatives figures were last night blaming Jeremy Hunt and other Tory plotters for wrecking the campaigns by trying to…
