Boris Johnson's Partygate reshuffle: Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg is shunted sideways to new Minister for Brexit Opportunity role as chief whip Mark Spencer is AXED as PM scrambles to defuse Tory coup amid grim polls

 Boris Johnson wielded the axe amid Partygate gloom today as he finally sacked Tory chief whip Mark Spencer and gave Jacob Rees-Mogg a new Brexit role.

Spencer was defenestrated after months of under-performance that saw him blamed for a series of rebellions against the PM by Tory backbenchers.The Sherwood MP moves to Commons Leader after in a face-saving move that sees Mr Rees-Mogg handed a completely new role at the Cabinet Office.

The former leader of the Eurosceptic European Research Group becomes Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government efficiency. It is a sideways move as he remains a member of the Cabinet.

Mr Rees-Mogg's role could take some of the weight from the shoulders of Steve Barclay as well as replacing Lord Frost , who resigned last year.  

Barclay, the Cabinet Office Minister, has been drafted into Downing Street as Mr Johnson's new chief of staff amid questions over how he can perform both roles as well as his MP's duties.

Mr Johnson made Chris Heaton-Harris, the Daventry MP and Europe Minister, the new chief whip, charged with returning discipline - and support - to the back benches after a brutal period for the Government.

Mr Johnson gathered his senior ministers in Downing Street this morning as a new poll showed Labour opening up a 10-point lead as No10 remains bedded down in sleaze.

The poll by Redfield and Wilton Strategies, carried out yesterday, put Labour on 42 per cent, up 2 per cent, with the Tories down 1 per cent on 23 per cent.

Mr Johnson was put on notice that he needs to produce a change of substance as qwell as style to win over unhappoy Tories.

Liaison Committee chairman Bernard Jenkin told Sky: 'He's got to sort this out, we are interested not in the optics, in some impression of a reset, we are looking for a change in the capability and the character of the government so we can have confidence nothing as clumsy and mortifying as this Partygate episode could ever happen again.'

It came as Mr Johnson found himself embroiled in a new row over comments he made about Sir Keir Starmer and the late child sex attacker Jimmy Savile. 

The Prime Minister gathered his senior ministers in Downing Street as a new poll shows Labour opening up a 10-point lead as No10 remains bedded down in sleaze.

The Prime Minister gathered his senior ministers in Downing Street as a new poll shows Labour opening up a 10-point lead as No10 remains bedded down in sleaze.

On his way? Mr Johnson is expected to finally remove Mark Spencer as Tory chief whip after a dismal few months of repeated backbench rebellions over a wide variety of issues.

Jacob Rees-Mogg
Sajid Javid

The Sherwood MP is expected to become Commons leader, freeing up Jacob Rees-Mogg (left) to take on a beefier policy-related role, possibly as a Brexit minister.

Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan arrives at Downing Street

Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan arrives at Downing Street

Secretary of State for Justice Dominic Raab arrives at Downing Street

Secretary of State for Justice Dominic Raab arrives at Downing StreetLabour's deputy leader Angela Rayner MP said: 'Today, the Labour Party frontbench was in Parliament proposing measures to tackle food poverty caused by an inflation crisis created in Downing Street and supporting the mental health of our children and young people - vital topics affecting families across the country.

'What was Boris Johnson doing? Reshuffling the deckchairs when he's already hit an iceberg.' 

The announcements came as the Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle delivered a fresh rebuke to Mr Johnson over his claim in the Commons last week that Sir Keir failed to prosecute Savile when he was director of public prosecutions.

Sir Lindsay said he had requested a situation report from the Metropolitan Police after the Labour leader was surrounded on Monday by a mob accusing him of being a 'paedophile protector'.Sir Lindsay said: 'I know it has been reported that some abuse was directed at the leader of the Opposition yesterday, related to claims made by the Prime Minister in this chamber.

'But regardless of yesterday's incident, I made it clear last week that while the Prime Minister's words were not disorderly they were inappropriate.

'As I said then, these sorts of comments only inflame opinions and generate disregard for the House and it is not acceptable.

'Our words have consequences and we should always be mindful of the fact.'

The PM is refusing to apologise following dramatic scenes of Sir Keir being surrounded and abused at as he walked in Westminster after leaving New Scotland Yard shortly before 5pm.

Police shielded him and led him to a marked car as the protesters continued to swarm around him him shouting about Savile, hurling baseless allegations about him 'protecting paedophiles' and also branding him a 'traitor'.

The protesters, who included anti-vaccine activist Piers Corbyn, had descended on London yesterday in support of Canada's 'Freedom Convoy' of truck drivers in Ottawa. Scotland Yard later said two arrests were made after Sir Keir was escorted to safety.

MailOnline understands the Parliamentary authorities are now urgently looking into how the situation was allowed to spiral - with questions over why Sir Keir was escorted through the mob rather than taken to safety, and why he had not been driven from inside the secure estate.

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