Deputy PM Dominic Raab thinks Boris will survive confidence vote

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab has told Matt Chorley on Times Radio that opponents of the PM won't win the vote of confidence..

"Well, I don't think it will succeed. I don't think it will pass. But we've obviously reached the threshold for having the vote and those numbers speak for themselves. But ultimately, I think it is an opportunity to put the weeks of speculation behind us and there'll be a very clear choice for colleagues this afternoon."

After running against Boris Johnson for the leadership in 2019 and believing he would do a better job than him. Matt Chorley asked him whether he still thinks that, three years on:

"No, I think he's got the big calls right. He has my full support and I believe we'll win today and I believe that if we can draw a line in the sand by doing so we'll go on, we will deliver for the public in the way I described and we win the next election"

Also, Matt Chorley asked him about what did people say to him over the weekend about how they felt about partygate: "I went to events, Jubilee events in Esher, Walton, Cobham, Oxshott and I was out and about doing other things. I've got to say no one raised with me the specific issue of party gate. By the way, plenty of people raised issues that they weren't happy with, that's the bread and butter of being an MP and being accessible to your constituents."

On the question of the Prime Minister being booed on his way into St Paul's Cathedral on Friday:

"Look, I can think of politicians in public being booed all the time. I can think of mumsnet giving politicians a difficult time but the reality is mid term for a fourth term government, of course we'd expect to go through a challenging period particularly after what the country has been through. Whether it's the pandemic, the economic impact of that and of course, we're going through a great set of challenges and the cost of living. Actually, I think if you look at how far we are behind in the polls for a mid- term government, the surprise is that Labour aren't doing better."

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